The United States Department of State has stated that the actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the eastern waters of Taiwan are “deeply destabilizing,” urging Beijing to cease pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue with the democratically elected authorities of Taiwan. Earlier, Reuters revealed in a monitoring report that in August this year, a CCP maritime militia ship appeared off the coast of Hualien, marking the first known instance of such a vessel in the eastern waters of Taiwan.
On Thursday, October 8th, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State responded to inquiries from the Central News Agency via email, stating that the U.S. “remains concerned about Chinese activities in eastern Taiwan.”
The spokesperson said, “The actions by the Chinese side are causing deep destabilization. Taiwan has peacefully administered the relevant waters for over 70 years, yet China claims jurisdiction over the surrounding waters. This will only escalate tensions and make it more difficult for China to achieve its stated goal of resolving issues peacefully.”
The Department of State spokesperson urged Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and instead “engage in meaningful dialogue with the authorities elected by the Taiwanese people.”
Reuters also reported on Saturday, October 10th, on the Department of State’s response. The agency noted that since June this year, the CCP has increased its activities in the waters off eastern Taiwan, with Chinese coast guard vessels patrolling the area regularly. Should a blockade or conflict arise, the eastern waters of Taiwan would be an important channel through which allies could transport wartime supplies to Taiwan.
Citing a monitoring report from Apex Aviation on October 8th, Reuters reported that in mid-August this year, an Apex Aviation reconnaissance aircraft spotted the fishing vessel “Min Fuding Yu 07902” in waters over 30 nautical miles from the Hualien coast, accompanied by the Chinese coast guard ship 2502 and the research vessel “Xiangyang Hong 3.”
Apex Aviation identified the “Min Fuding Yu 07902” as a maritime militia ship. Two senior Taiwanese officials confirmed to Reuters that the authorities were aware of this incident and identified the fishing vessel as part of the CCP military’s maritime militia fleet.
However, Apex Aviation stated that a single monitoring session could not confirm whether the three ships were acting in coordination.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stated that the CCP was expanding its maritime activities under the guise of law enforcement and scientific research, attempting to create the illusion of jurisdiction over the relevant waters and challenging Taiwan’s maritime law enforcement rights. Taiwanese officials believe that these activities may be rehearsals for implementing maritime blockades.
In June this year, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States also expressed concerns about CCP activities in the waters off eastern Taiwan, seeing these actions as threats to regional stability and freedom of navigation.
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration indicated that they have integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Chinese vessels operating in the waters surrounding Taiwan around the clock. These vessels are all located outside Taiwan’s “restricted waters,” with the coast guard units fully aware of their movements and responding appropriately.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.