Maritime tensions escalated for a second consecutive day as Taiwanese and Chinese coast guard vessels maintained a tense face-off near the Pratas islands in the South China Sea, Taiwan’s Coast Guard reported on Sunday.
Beijing considers democratically ruled Taiwan part of its territory, a claim that the government in Taipei disputes. Over the last five years, China has intensified military activities around the island as part of its pressure campaign against Taiwan.
The Pratas islands, positioned between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong under Taiwanese control, are considered by security analysts to be particularly susceptible to Chinese assault given their remote location more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Taiwan’s main island.
According to Taiwan’s Coast Guard, they detected a Chinese Coast Guard vessel approaching the Pratas on Saturday and quickly deployed their own ship, which issued warnings. The two vessels then “engaged in an intense verbal confrontation over sovereignty via radio.”
The Chinese vessel announced it was conducting routine operations and declared that China possessed sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Pratas, Taiwan’s Coast Guard reported.
“Please do not destroy peace. You should return and strive for democracy. That is the correct way to serve your country,” the Taiwanese ship responded, according to footage released by Taiwan’s coast guard.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not provide a response when contacted for comment.
A Taiwan Coast Guard official informed Reuters that the Chinese vessel remained positioned 21 nautical miles northeast of the Pratas, with the standoff ongoing as of Sunday afternoon.
The official, who requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the situation, noted that China’s language regarding jurisdiction and sovereignty was uncommon, as was the extended duration of its presence in waters so near the Pratas.
The Pratas, which form an atoll that also serves as a Taiwanese national park, receive minimal defense coverage from Taiwan, with coast guard units rather than military forces responsible for protection.
Earlier this year in January, Taiwan reported that a Chinese surveillance drone momentarily flew over the Pratas, which Taiwan’s defense ministry characterized as a “provocative and irresponsible” action.
