Taiwan says four Chinese coast guard ships entered restricted waters around Kinmen

The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Thursday monitored four Chinese coast guard vessels entering Taiwan-controlled waters around the coastal area of ​​Kinmen County, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

In a statement, the CGA said the four Chinese vessels approached the outer boundary of the “restricted” waters around Kinmen and intruded into Taiwan-controlled waters from four different points at 7 am (local time) – east and southeast of Liaoluo Bay, south of Zhaishan and south of Fengzui.

According to Taiwan’s CGA, this was the first incursion by Chinese coast guard ships in July and the 31st in 2024. Taiwan’s CGA dispatched four ships to track the intruders and broadcast warnings, CNA reports.

The Chinese ships left the restricted waters at 9 am (local time) and re-entered at 10 am (local time) after Taiwan’s coast guard sent four more ships following Beijing’s action.

Later, the Chinese ships left Taiwan-controlled waters between 12 noon (local time) and 1 pm (local time). Taiwan’s CGA said the actions of China’s coast guard have undermined maritime security and do not help cross-strait exchanges. The CGA said it will continue to uphold Taiwan’s rights in the sea.

According to the CNA report, since Kinmen County and Xiamen are very close to each other, China’s territorial waters surround the entire area of ​​Kinmen, leaving Taiwan with a compromise measure as it demarcates “prohibited” and “restricted” waters around the Kinmen Islands, extending from 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters from the archipelago’s coast.

In early June, the Taiwan Coast Guard (CGA) monitored four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels in restricted waters off the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, reports the Central News Agency (CNA).

The intrusion was reported to the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu branch just after 5 a.m. (local time). The CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu branch said it sent three patrol boats to track the Chinese vessels and collect evidence until they left the area at 8 a.m. (local time).

The branch said four Chinese boats numbered 14609, 14603, 14513 and 14605 entered the restricted zone from the east of Beiding Island and south of Fuxing Island respectively and flew for about two hours.

Taiwan’s CGA stressed that the Chinese Coast Guard’s actions do not maintain relations between Kinmen and Xiamen, nor do they promote regional stability. However, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said its actions were legal.

According to Taiwan’s CGA, the Chinese Coast Guard has made repeated incursions into Taiwan-controlled waters near Kinmen Island since an unnamed and unregistered Chinese speedboat capsized on February 14, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

On February 14, a Chinese speed boat collided with a Taiwanese CGA patrol vessel and capsized in waters near Kinmen, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese crew members. Since then, China has sent coast guard ships into Taiwan-controlled waters, insisting it legally has the right to patrol the area.