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Taiwan's coast guard reported that Chinese vessels intruded into "prohibited" waters near Taiping Island in the South China Sea for the first time on Thursday. The two Chinese ships entered the waters surrounding the Taiwan-controlled island and stayed for approximately 15 minutes before being expelled by the Taiwanese coast guard.

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once again maliciously escalates grey-zone harassment in an attempt to create a false impression of jurisdiction

Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, is the largest island in the Spratly archipelago, a region claimed by Taiwan, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The Taiwanese coast guard issued a strong condemnation, labeling the incident as a malicious escalation of "grey-zone harassment" aimed at creating a false impression of Chinese jurisdiction.

This event occurs amidst heightened military pressure from Beijing on Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province. China also asserts claims over most of the South China Sea. Taiwan's coast guard stated that the "prohibited" waters extend four kilometers from the shore. The Ocean Affairs Council, responsible for the coast guard, accused China of systematically harassing Taiwan.

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China is systematically harassing Taiwan

Taiwan's authorities also pointed to a recent incident where a Chinese survey vessel coordinated with a coast guard ship near Pratas Island, another disputed territory. Taiwan's coast guard described this as the first observed instance of Chinese coast guard and survey vessels acting in coordination to provoke Taiwan. Taiwan views these actions, including Chinese ships requesting information from commercial cargo ships, as provocative and indicative of "expansionism in disguise."

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the first observed instance of Chinese coast guard and survey vessels acting in coordination to provoke Taiwan