On the afternoon of August 5th, the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration’s Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu branch detected and confronted a formation of 4 Chinese coast guard ships approaching the restricted waters near Kinmen. The Coast Guard Administration immediately dispatched patrol boats, monitored the situation closely, broadcasted warnings, and successfully drove the 4 Chinese ships out of the waters near Kinmen.
According to the Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu branch of the Coast Guard Administration, around 2 p.m. today, the 12th patrol zone spotted the Chinese coast guard ships numbered “14609,” “14530,” “14606,” and “14533” in formation nearing the restricted waters of Kinmen. The Taiwan Coast Guard promptly deployed patrol boats to the boundary to respond to the situation.
At 3:04 p.m., the Chinese coast guard ships sailed in a line formation from the south of Lieyu Island into the restricted waters of Kinmen. The Coast Guard boats immediately engaged in close monitoring, gathering evidence throughout the encounter. Through assertive broadcasts in Chinese and English and close-range warnings, Taiwan demonstrated its commitment to sovereignty and maritime security. By 5:09 p.m., all the Chinese coast guard ships had exited the restricted waters of Kinmen.
The Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu branch pointed out that the Chinese coast guard has been using the pretext of “law enforcement patrols” to disturb the restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen in recent years. This behavior is an attempt to create a false impression of law enforcement and manipulate jurisdictional perceptions under the guise of gray zone operations.
The Coast Guard Administration emphasized firmly that the restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen fall under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China according to law. The intrusions by the Chinese coast guard do not contribute to regional peace and stability and “cannot change the fact that our country exercises jurisdiction in accordance with the law.”
The Coast Guard Administration will continue to uphold the principle of “firm law enforcement, no compromise,” maintaining a calm, rational, and professional attitude to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime security at all times.