On October 20, 2026, a China Coast Guard ship entered the restricted waters northeast of Dongsha Island, and was monitored and broadcasted away by the Taiwan Coast Guard vessel “Taichung.” According to the Coast Guard Administration, they have successfully driven away Chinese Coast Guard vessels 12 times, totaling 15 encounters in the Dongsha waters since the beginning of the year.
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration’s Southeast Dongsha Branch released a press statement stating that early this morning around 5 o’clock in the southeast waters of Dongsha, they detected that the Chinese Coast Guard vessel “CCH3102” was sailing without its Automatic Identification System (AIS) activated, using a tactic known as “dark ship” in the restricted waters. The Dongsha Command immediately informed the on-duty vessel “Taichung” to intervene.
The Southeast Dongsha Branch reported that the Chinese Coast Guard vessel “CCH3102” entered the restricted waters northeast of Dongsha Island around 8 o’clock this morning, where it was closely monitored by the “Taichung” vessel. The Chinese vessel was repeatedly broadcasted commands to leave both in Chinese and English, but is still currently present in the area.
During the process of driving away the Chinese Coast Guard vessel, the “Taichung” vessel was subjected to psychological warfare broadcasts via radio, attempting to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty in a disruptive and aggressive manner, as mentioned by the Southeast Dongsha Branch.
The Southeast Dongsha Branch emphasized that the “Taichung” vessel countered the Chinese tactics through broadcasts, refuting their provocative actions and psychological warfare. They reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation, not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China, which is an undeniable fact. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Chinese vessel from Taiwanese waters as their presence violates international laws, disrupts maritime order, and jeopardizes Taiwan’s maritime security.
The Coast Guard Administration stressed that Taiwan unquestionably holds sovereignty over Dongsha Atoll and its surrounding waters. Recently, China has been conducting multiple harassing activities with a mix of Coast Guard, research, and fishing vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan, including this latest incident where they intruded into Taiwan’s restricted waters while concealing their AIS and spreading psychological warfare rhetoric through broadcasts, all in an attempt to assert false jurisdiction and destabilize regional peace.
In response to China’s ongoing gray zone provocations and multifaceted threats, Taiwan’s coast guard vessels maintain round-the-clock surveillance and resolutely defend the nation’s sovereignty and maritime rights. They ensure the order and security of the waters by not yielding an inch to these provocations, safeguarding the country’s maritime interests.