Taiwan’s coast guard reported that a Chinese coast guard ship and an oceanographic survey vessel operated together for the first time near the Pratas Islands, a strategic atoll in the northern South China Sea controlled by Taiwan. This coordinated presence marks a new dimension in Beijing’s ongoing pressure campaign aimed at asserting sovereignty over disputed waters.
The Pratas Islands, located between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, are lightly defended and stretch Taiwan’s capacity for maritime protection given their distance of over 400 kilometers from the main island. Taiwan’s authorities view the increased Chinese activity as a deliberate provocation attempting to undermine their control and challenge Taiwan’s maritime sovereignty.
According to Taiwan’s coast guard, the Chinese coast guard ship approached the islands on Friday, followed by the oceanographic survey vessel’s arrival on Saturday. Both vessels broadcast messages emphasizing China’s claim over the area, asserting that Taiwan’s future lies with reunification under Beijing’s authority. In response, Taiwan’s vessels warned the Chinese ships to cease their provocations and stressed that democratic self-determination defines Taiwan’s future.
China considers both Taiwan and the Pratas Islands part of its territory, although Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims, insisting that the island’s people decide their political status. Taiwan’s National Security Council Secretary-General condemned the joint Chinese operation as a highly provocative act and labeled it an example of China’s disruptive behavior in the region.
This new pattern of cooperation between Chinese coast guard and research ships reflects Beijing’s broader strategy of expanding its maritime operations around Taiwan, blending military and paramilitary tactics to pressure Taiwanese authorities and assert territorial claims in contested areas.