Taiwan's Maritime Sovereignty Challenged: China's Coast Guard Enters Neighboring Zone

Heightened Tensions as China's Coast Guard Vessels Approach Taiwan's Territorial Waters, Sparking Concerns and Official Response.

Amidst escalating tensions, Taiwan's Coast Guard has released footage confirming the presence of a Chinese Coast Guard vessel within the island's 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone. This marks a significant development, as it is the first time the Taiwanese government has officially acknowledged the encroachment of Chinese government vessels into this area.

The incident occurred during the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) "Strait Thunder 2025A" military exercises, which commenced on April 1st. On April 2nd, the Ministry of National Defense held a press conference to share surveillance information. During this event, the **海巡署 (Coast Guard Administration)** released video footage of a patrol vessel from the agency, the Taitung, intercepting and issuing a warning to a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, the 2305, in waters east of Taiwan.

The footage reveals that the Taitung's announcements declared the Chinese vessel had entered the "restricted waters," a term indicating the 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone. While the **海巡署 (Coast Guard Administration)** initially prepared to address this specific incident, the details weren't explicitly mentioned during the press conference due to a lack of direct questions from the media.