Taiwan coast guard shadows Chinese research ship near Penghu, calls presence maritime provocation

Taiwan's coast guard said on Friday (August 21) it had warned and shadowed a Chinese research vessel sailing in sensitive waters west of Taiwan, marking the third time the ship has been detected near the island since May in what Taipei considers ongoing maritime provocation. China regards democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory and rejects sovereignty claims made by Taipei, including those concerning waters surrounding the island.

Taiwan has repeatedly reported sightings of Chinese vessels, including China Coast Guard ships, operating near the island. Taipei describes such activity as ‘grey zone’ harassment intended to pressure the Taiwanese government and create an appearance of Chinese jurisdiction. The coast guard said the research vessel, the Tongji, entered waters late Thursday and was spotted 24.9 nautical miles northwest of the Penghu islands. Located in the Taiwan Strait, Penghu hosts several major Taiwanese military facilities. Taiwanese authorities said the vessel was not seen deploying or towing any equipment.

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A coast guard patrol boat was sent to sail alongside the Tongji and broadcast ‘strong’ warnings ordering the vessel to leave the area. By Friday morning, the Tongji was approximately 28 nautical miles west-southwest of Taiwan's Liuqiu island, a popular tourist destination in the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. The vessel was continuing to travel southeast, according to the coast guard. China's Taiwan Affairs Office had not immediately responded to a request for comment.

Taiwan's coast guard said it would proactively deploy vessels in response to Chinese ships, "firmly defending national sovereignty and ensuring the safety of our nation's waters". China's military also maintains an almost daily presence around Taiwan. Taiwan first detected the Tongji near the island in May. On at least one occasion, authorities said the vessel was observed lowering ropes into the water, raising suspicions that it was deploying scientific instruments for what Taipei described as "illegal" survey operations. Chinese state media has reported that the Tongji has all-weather operational capabilities and can carry remotely operated vehicles, laboratories and unmanned systems.