Taiwan accuses China of coordinated operation near strategic South China Sea outpost

Taiwan on Saturday accused China of carrying out a coordinated operation involving a coast guard vessel and a research ship near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, describing it as a provocative attempt to assert jurisdiction over the area.

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration said a Chinese coast guard vessel approached the strategically located islands on Friday and was joined by a Chinese oceanographic survey ship on Saturday.

"This is the first observed instance of Chinese coast guard and survey vessels acting in coordination to provoke Taiwan," the agency said in a statement.

The Pratas Islands, located between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, are controlled by Taipei and guarded primarily by the coast guard. The remote atoll is regarded by security analysts as a potential flashpoint due to its distance from Taiwan's main island and its strategic location in the northern South China Sea.

Taiwan's coast guard said it dispatched its own vessels to monitor and respond to the Chinese ships.

According to the agency, the Chinese coast guard vessel broadcast messages claiming it was conducting law enforcement operations and stating that "Taiwan's future lies in national reunification".

Taiwan said its personnel responded by urging the Chinese vessel to stop undermining regional peace and stability.

Tensions over sovereignty

National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu condemned the operation, accusing Beijing of increasing pressure on Taiwan through military and quasi-military activities.

"These acts are highly provocative. The PRC is a sick bully, causing trouble across the region," Wu said in a post on X.

Taiwan's coast guard accused China of attempting to create a "false illusion" of jurisdiction over waters surrounding the islands and reiterated that Taiwan would defend its maritime rights.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and also asserts sovereignty over the Pratas Islands. The Taiwanese government rejects Beijing's claims and maintains that only the people of Taiwan can determine the island's future.

Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately comment on the allegations.

The latest incident comes amid growing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, where China has stepped up military, coast guard and maritime patrol activities around Taiwan and other disputed areas.