Taiwan coast guard intercepts Chinese vessels near Dongsha Island

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) confirmed Saturday that it had dispatched vessels to repel both a Chinese coast guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat operating near Dongsha Island, heightening maritime tensions in the South China Sea, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Chinese coast guard vessel was detected at 6:15 a.m. by the CGA's Dongsha-Nansha Branch on Thursday, some 28 nautical miles (52 kilometres) northeast of Dongsha, edging close to the island's restricted waters that extend 24 nautical miles from shore. In response, the CGA deployed its 2,000-tonne cutter Tainan to shadow the ship. The vessel ultimately left the area by 2:39 pm Friday, following nearly a full day of monitoring.

Hours later, another incursion took place. At 6:31 p.m. Friday, a Chinese fishing boat was spotted east of Dongsha, directly within restricted waters. By late evening, two Taiwanese patrol vessels intercepted a small raft belonging to the fishing boat, located northeast of the island. The fishing boat was expelled shortly thereafter, with no further Chinese activity observed as of Saturday, as reported by Focus Taiwan.


The incident unfolded as Beijing announced the establishment of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, also claimed by Taiwan and the Philippines. China's State Council described the move as a step toward marine protection, though observers regard it as another manoeuvre to assert control over contested areas, as highlighted by Focus Taiwan.

The CGA condemned repeated Chinese provocations in the South China Sea and wider Indo-Pacific, accusing Beijing of employing "grey zone tactics", persistent, low-level incursions designed to exert pressure without provoking outright military conflict. Taiwan's coast guard reiterated its commitment to defending national sovereignty, pledging to continue patrols and surveillance in the Dongsha region. The latest confrontations highlight the fragile balance in disputed waters, where overlapping territorial claims and China's assertive posture threaten to further destabilise regional security.