Key facts
- Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration used water cannons on a Chinese fishing vessel.
- The incident occurred on October 1 near Dongsha Island in the South China Sea.
- The Chinese fishing boat Jin Sha entered Taiwan's prohibited and restricted waters.
- The CGA patrol vessel Yunlin issued repeated warnings before using its water cannon.
- The Jin Sha's crew requested and received 35 hot meals from the CGA.
- The CGA towed the Jin Sha out of restricted waters and handed it over to a Chinese work vessel.
Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) deployed water cannons to drive away a mainland Chinese fishing vessel that had entered restricted waters near Dongsha Island on Thursday, October 1.
The incident occurred approximately 27 nautical miles east of the Taiwanese-controlled Dongsha Island, also known as Pratas Island, in the South China Sea.
According to the CGA, its Dongsha-Nansha Branch detected an unidentified boat within Taiwan's prohibited waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the island. The agency's 4,000-ton Yunlin patrol vessel was dispatched to investigate.
Later, the Yunlin patrol vessel found two Chinese fishing boats, the Yue Hui Dong Yu 75066 and the Jin Sha, operating within Taiwan's restricted waters, a zone extending 24 nautical miles from the island. While the Yue Hui Dong Yu 75066 departed after receiving warnings, the Jin Sha refused to leave.
After repeated radio warnings proved ineffective, the Yunlin patrol vessel used its water cannon for 30 seconds at a distance of 200 meters, and then for 90 seconds directly at the Jin Sha's wheelhouse. The CGA stated that the use of low-lethal weaponry was in line with its standard operating procedures.
Following the expulsion, the CGA provided 35 hot meals to the Jin Sha's crew at their request. The fishing boat was then towed out of restricted waters and handed over to a Chinese work vessel early Friday morning.
The CGA reiterated its commitment to lawfully expelling Chinese fishing vessels that cross its borders and to safeguarding national maritime boundaries while also providing humanitarian assistance. The agency urged China to prevent further illegal fishing activities in the region.