Taiwan, China coast guards in renewed standoff at top of South China Sea

TAIPEI, June 7 ------ The Taiwanese and Chinese Coast Guards were engaged in another tense standoff near the strategically located Pratas Islands at the top ​of the South China Sea, Taiwan said, the second ‌time in a fortnight that this has happened.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position the government in Taipei rejects. China has pressured Taiwan ​by increasing its military presence around the island over the past ​five years. Lying roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the ⁠Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to ​Chinese attack due to their distance - more than 400 km (250 miles) - from ​Taiwan island.

Taiwan's Coast Guard said that on Friday morning, it spotted a Chinese coast guard ship which then "forced its way" into restricted waters around the Pratas after speeding ​up and making a sharp turn while disregarding warnings from the Taiwan ​ship. The two ships are still in a "standoff" and are engaged in "intense verbal exchanges," the ‌Coast ⁠Guard said.

Taiwan's Coast Guard said the Chinese ship is trying to create the false impression that China has jurisdiction over the waters around the Pratas. "This ​not only undermines ​the status quo ⁠of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but also makes China a troublemaker in cross-strait and regional ​affairs," it added in a statement. "Taiwan's maritime sovereignty must ​not be ⁠challenged."

The last time this happened was almost two weeks ago, when the Chinese ship ended up leaving. The Pratas, an atoll which is also a Taiwanese national ⁠park, is ​only lightly defended by Taiwan and its ​Coast Guard has that responsibility rather than the military. In January, Taiwan said a Chinese reconnaissance ​drone briefly flew over the Pratas.

Source: reuters.com