The Taiwanese and Chinese coast guards were engaged in another standoff near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) at the top of the South China Sea today, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said, the second time in a fortnight that this has happened.
Lying between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance - more than 400km - from Taiwan's main island.
The CGA said that this morning, it spotted a Chinese coast guard ship that "forced its way" into restricted waters around the Pratas after speeding up and making a sharp turn while disregarding warnings from the Taiwan ship.
Photo provided by the Water Resources via CNA
The two ships are still in a "standoff" and are engaged in "intense verbal exchanges," the CGA said.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The CGA said the Chinese ship is trying to create the false impression that China has jurisdiction over the waters around the Pratas.
"This not only undermines the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also makes China a troublemaker in cross-strait and regional affairs," it said in a statement. "Taiwan's maritime sovereignty must not be challenged."
The last time this happened was almost two weeks ago, when the Chinese ship ended up leaving.
The Pratas, an atoll which is also a Taiwanese national park, is only lightly defended by the CGA, which has that responsibility rather than the military.
In January, Taiwan said a Chinese reconnaissance drone briefly flew over the Pratas.
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