In response to the Chinese Communist Party’s Fujian maritime police’s incursion into restricted waters of Taiwan’s Matsu Dongyin and Kinmen Wuchiu islands in a fleet formation this morning (May 23), the Coast Guard Administration of the Republic of China indicated that it monitored the coast throughout and dispatched patrol boats for evidence gathering and expulsion.
The Chinese military claimed today that starting at 7:45 a.m. until the 24th, they will conduct military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan and Kinmen/Matsu. The Chinese Maritime Police Bureau also stated that on the 23rd, the Fujian maritime police organized a fleet near Wuchiu Island and Dongyin Island to conduct comprehensive law enforcement exercises to test joint cruising, rapid response, and emergency disposal capabilities.
The Coast Guard Administration of the Republic of China released a press release today stating that the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army announced that they would conduct the “Joint Sword-2024A” exercise in the vicinity of Taiwan today. The Coast Guard Administration immediately obtained relevant information, completed maritime deployments, and cooperated with the Ministry of National Defense to use joint intelligence surveillance means to monitor the dynamic of targets in the surrounding waters, maintaining a high level of alertness and close surveillance. The Coast Guard Administration will defend national sovereignty and security with a firm attitude.
The Coast Guard Administration’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch issued a press release stating that this morning, Chinese maritime police ships entered the waters around Taiwan’s Dongyin and Wuchiu islands in a fleet formation. The Coast Guard Administration implemented coastal and maritime monitoring throughout and dispatched patrol boats for evidence gathering and expulsion. The 4 Chinese maritime police ships left about an hour after entering.
Chinese maritime police ships with the hull numbers “14607” and “14509” entered the restricted waters of Matsu Dongyin around 7:48 a.m., with another Chinese maritime police ship “14517” providing support from the outside. The Coast Guard Administration monitored the situation throughout and sent out patrol boats PP-3586, PP-3571, and PP-10037 for evidence gathering, warning, and expelling. The aforementioned Chinese maritime police ships left at 8:53 a.m.
At the same time, on another island Wuchiu, two Chinese maritime police ships “14606” and “14506” were detected entering the restricted waters, with another maritime police ship “14502” on the outside. The Coast Guard Administration deployed patrol boats PP-10039 and PP-10035 from Kinmen and Taichung respectively in response. The Chinese maritime police fleet left the Wuchiu waters around 8:45 a.m.
The Coast Guard Administration stated that Chinese maritime police ships intentionally entered Taiwan’s island waters in fleet formations for the seventh time in May, affecting maritime safety, disturbing peace and stability, and not conducive to cross-strait equal exchanges. They called on China to exercise restraint and immediately stop irrational actions. The Coast Guard Administration will defend national sovereignty and security with determination.