China Coast Guard Vessels Enter Waters Near Kinmen; Taiwan Coast Guard Monitors and Requests Departure

An incident occurred in waters near Kinmen on January 24. The China Coast Guard stated that it conducted what it described as a “routine law enforcement patrol” in waters surrounding Kinmen and released video footage claiming that warnings were issued to Taiwanese vessels. In response, the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration provided its account of the situation, noting that the statements did not fully align with conditions observed at the scene. According to the Coast Guard Administration, radar detected multiple China Coast Guard vessels operating in the southern waters outside Kinmen at around 8:00 a.m., where the vessels were observed gathering in two separate areas. As the vessels were assessed to be approaching restricted waters, patrol boats were immediately dispatched to move forward and take precautionary positions. At approximately 9:00 a.m., four China Coast Guard vessels, operating in two groups, entered Kinmen’s restricted waters from different directions. Taiwan Coast Guard patrol boats that had been pre-deployed responded by conducting one-on-one parallel monitoring, maintaining close observation of the vessels’ movements. Radio broadcasts were issued in both Chinese and English, requesting the vessels to alter course and leave the area. Parallel monitoring at sea continued for about two hours. By around 11:00 a.m., under continued response measures by the Taiwan Coast Guard, all China Coast Guard vessels had exited Kinmen’s restricted waters. The Coast Guard Administration stated that it will continue to closely monitor maritime developments in the area, maintain advance deployments, and ensure navigational order and safety in surrounding waters. Relevant response footage will also be released when appropriate to prevent misunderstandings.