‘BRAZEN’:
The holiday did not stop China from activities that infringe on Taiwan’s maritime jurisdiction, but the CGA is ready to defend the nation, Kuan Bi-ling said
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By Fang Wei-li and Hung Ting-hung / Staff reporters
Beijing is intensifying maritime pressure on Taiwan, but the nation will never yield, Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Sung Chen-en (宋承恩) said.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has adopted a “shadowing and monitoring” approach to avoid falling into a Chinese trap to escalate tensions and deepen the conflict, Sung said in an interview published yesterday in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).
China Coast Guard formations patrolling waters east of Taiwan, as well as official Chinese vessels entering areas around Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) and Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) show Beijing’s attempts to significantly step up pressure at sea, Sung said.
Photo courtesy of the CGA
He cited incidents on May 7 and 14 in which the Chinese research vessel Tongji (同濟號) circled Taiwan along the boundary of its restricted waters, repeatedly deploying monitoring equipment during the voyage.
This month, a joint operation involving a scientific vessel and a coast guard ship were also seen around the waters in Pratas for the first time, he said.
The vessels made sudden course changes after sailing in a straight line and entered Taiwan’s prohibited waters, Sung said, describing it as unprofessional and risky behavior.
China’s recent actions across multiple areas around Taiwan represent an escalation in provocations and show a greater disregard for Taiwan’s enforcement authority than in the past, he said.
In response to the mounting pressure, the CGA has adopted a “shadowing and monitoring” strategy, Sung said, adding that while the nature of maritime operations makes it impossible to prevent Chinese vessels from approaching, the goal is to ensure they do not enter Taiwan’s jurisdictional waters.
For every vessel deployed by China, Taiwan dispatches a corresponding number of patrol ships to track and monitor them on a rotating basis, he said.
The strategy is designed to deny Chinese vessels access to Taiwan-controlled waters while avoiding the use of force, thereby preventing Beijing from gaining a pretext to further escalate tensions, he said.
Legal rights are based on legitimate authority, he said.
Admiring a luxury home and walking around it every day for 10 years will not make it your own, he said as an analogy.
The People’s Republic of China has never exercised sovereignty over Taiwan and therefore has no jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan, Sung said.
Chinese vessels might circle the area, but they ultimately leave nothing behind, and the CGA will continue monitoring them until they depart, he said.
“Tonnage is not everything; professionalism matters more,” he said, adding that the CGA has the resolve and capability to enforce the law peacefully and prevent unlawful incursions.
Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), meanwhile, described China as “brazen” in a social media post yesterday.
Yesterday was the start of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, but that did not stop China from continuing with its activities that infringe on Taiwan’s maritime jurisdiction, including “three noes” — no name, no registration, no flag — ships crossing the line and dumping mixed catch, she wrote.
The Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 22 was spotted entering restricted waters off Yilan County, and Chinese coast guard vessels have been operating in the Pratas area, she said.
Kuan attached a map showing the CGA vessel Tainan operating in waters around Pratas Island, tracking and pushing back against approaching Chinese coast guard ships.
The CGA continued to uphold “civilized values that transcend borders and distinctions between friend and foe,” while also carrying out its duty to defend sovereignty and protect fishing rights during the holiday, she said.
