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Albee Zhang

Taiwan has for the first time reported mainland Chinese law enforcement vessels near an island it controls in the South China Sea, a development experts say could form the basis of Beijing’s effective control in the waters.
The move comes after Beijing accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of inaction in the face of Japan-Philippines maritime delineation talks, which could concern exclusive economic zones claimed by Beijing and Taipei.
Two mainland Chinese law enforcement ships – the Sansha Zhifa 301 and Sansha No 2, which are both managed by the southern city of Sansha in Hainan province – entered the Taipei-claimed 3.2-nautical mile prohibited waters around Taiping Island at 8.28am on Thursday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said. The vessels reportedly moved closer to the Taipei-defined 2.1-nautical-mile restrictive waters at 8.31am.
Taiwan said it was the first time mainland Chinese government vessels had entered the Taipei-defined restricted waters near Taiping – also known as Itu Aba – and that both vessels were driven away by its coastguard at 8.43am.
It added that a mainland Chinese coastguard ship had previously entered the prohibited waters of the Pratas Islands, also known as the Dongsha Islands, on June 5.

Experts said Beijing’s movement around the islands was an attempt to assert sovereignty through concrete action, which could form the basis for effective control in future.
Beijing claims most of the islands and rocks in the South China Sea and rights over their adjacent waters. Taiwan controls the Pratas and Taiping islands.
Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean of the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University, said that when cross-strait relations were more stable, mainland China and Taiwan could coordinate and cooperate in asserting sovereignty in the South China Sea.
“Because cross-strait relations are tense and the Taiwan authorities have not changed their position on Taiwan independence, and they have also made concessions on issues concerning the security of islands and surrounding waters, China’s monitoring activities are a declaration of sovereignty and a way to exert pressure on the Democratic Progressive Party,” Zhang said.
“I won’t rule out that, when the time is right, China could first take back Taiping, or even Dongsha – that’s a possibility.”
Taiping is the largest naturally formed island in the vicinity of Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs in the southern part of the contested Spratly Islands.




Located 1,600km (995 miles) southwest of Kaohsiung, it hosts 200 coastguard personnel and has a paved runway that can handle transport aircraft and a deepwater wharf where coastguard and supply ships can dock.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not formally recognise the island as independent, although Washington is committed to supplying it with defensive weapons and opposes any forcible takeover.
The escalation by Beijing is part of a broader surge in mainland law enforcement operations around Taiwan, particularly to the east, after Japan and the Philippines jointly announced last month they would hold formal negotiations to delimit their overlapping maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones in the western Pacific.
“China can’t just go to east of Taiwan and not to the other two [Taiping and Pratas]; then it’s admitting that those are independent and that would cause misunderstandings,” said Liang Guoliang, a Hong Kong-based military commentator.
“Maritime boundary setting is all about concrete actions. Without action, verbal assertions do not count. So China reacted very quickly this time with action, sending a clear message to the international community.”
Liang said Beijing would carry out similar missions in the future.
For Zhang, this was also a response to Western countries’ involvement in the South China Sea, such as a Dutch frigate being sent to the disputed Paracel Islands last month, a move that angered Beijing.
“It’s also the international involvement [in the South China Sea], such as the US and even the Netherlands. And these are practical actions of China to apply pressure so that China can see the Western countries’ reactions,” Zhang said.


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Taipei says it is the first time mainland Chinese government vessels have entered waters near Taiping


Taipei says it is the first time mainland Chinese government vessels have entered waters near Taiping.


The quiet escalation unfolding around Taiwan’s remote outposts as Beijing sends ships

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Taipei says it is the first time mainland Chinese government vessels have entered waters near Taiping

Taipei says it is the first time mainland Chinese government vessels have entered waters near Taiping