Taiwan Coast Guard Drives Out Chinese Vessel Near Dongsha Island: What Happened in the Latest Incident?
Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on June 23, 2025, announced that it successfully drove away a Chinese coast guard vessel from restricted waters near Dongsha Island in the South China Sea. The incident marks the 11th intrusion by Chinese official vessels into the marine park area this year.
According to the CGA, the Chinese Coast Guard ship “3302” entered restricted waters west-northwest of Dongsha Island early on June 23, 2025. The vessel subsequently departed the area at 6:10 am after Taiwan dispatched two Coast Guard cutters—the 1,853-tonne Hsun Hu No. 7 and the larger 5,919-tonne Yunlin—to shadow and issue warnings to the intruding ship.
What actions did Taiwan take against the Chinese intrusion?
The CGA swiftly deployed two patrol ships, Hsun Hu No. 7 and Yunlin, to intercept and monitor the Chinese vessel closely. Taiwanese authorities issued multiple warnings, resulting in the eventual departure of the Chinese Coast Guard ship. Taiwan strongly denounced China’s repeated violations of its maritime boundaries, emphasising that Dongsha Island has been part of Taiwan’s first marine national park since 2007.
What other violations have been recorded near Dongsha Island in 2025?
Apart from the 11 official intrusions by Chinese government vessels into the waters around Dongsha Island in 2025, the CGA also detected 111 illegal incursions by 31 Chinese fishing boats in the region during the same period. Taiwanese authorities have seized seven of these fishing vessels for violations.
Notably, the CGA stated that during several incidents, Chinese coast guard ships intentionally disabled their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), complicating tracking efforts. Taiwan views these incidents as part of China’s “gray zone” tactics, where coercive actions are conducted to assert territorial claims without triggering open conflict.
The CGA further highlighted that some Chinese fishing vessels have been seen coordinating their activities with coast guard ships around the Dongsha Atoll, a protected marine zone where fishing and angling are strictly prohibited.
What message has Taiwan’s Coast Guard conveyed to China?
Taiwan urged China to enforce stricter control over its fishing fleet, ensuring compliance with maritime laws and avoiding illegal activities outside its designated fishing zones. Such practices pose a serious threat to the marine ecology around Dongsha Island.
The latest incident follows three separate intrusions by four Chinese coast guard vessels near Taiwan’s offshore Kinmen Islands, which were recorded on June 19 and June 20, 2025, underscoring the rising tensions in the region.
