Chinese maritime militia vessel spotted off eastern Taiwan for the first time — Taipei Times
A Chinese fishing vessel, Minfudingyu 07902, which was described in a report by Apex Aviation as also serving as a Chinese maritime militia vessel, was recorded off Taiwan’s eastern coast in mid-August. This is the first known case of such a vessel appearing in the area, Taipei Times reports.
According to Apex Aviation, Minfudingyu 07902 operated alongside China Coast Guard cutter 2502 and the research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03. The company’s reconnaissance aircraft detected the group of vessels more than 30 nautical miles, or 55.6 kilometers, from Hualien County. The vessels were dispersed within a radius of about 10 nautical miles.
Increased activity off the coast
Since June, China has regularly conducted coast guard vessel patrols off Taiwan’s eastern coast. Two senior Taiwanese officials familiar with the situation said that the three vessels were operating in an area not usually used by Chinese vessels. According to one of them, the vessels were designated for enhanced monitoring.
One official said that Taiwanese authorities had tracked the fishing vessel as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s maritime militia fleet. According to him, it operated in coordination with Chinese coast guard drills, which the official characterized as maritime pursuit. He also said that the purpose of such vessels is to carry out de facto pursuit.
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Taiwan Defense Ministry’s assessment
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that China uses law enforcement and scientific research activities as cover for pursuit. According to the ministry’s assessment, Beijing seeks to expand its area of operations under non-conflict conditions and create an impression of de facto jurisdiction.
The ministry also noted that such actions undermine the international order and call Taiwan’s maritime rights into question. The military is monitoring China’s activity using intelligence assets in coordination with other agencies, including the Coast Guard Administration.
Apex Aviation Director of Defense and Security Honor Hung said that Chinese warships, coast guard vessels, research vessels, and some civilian vessels operate in an interconnected format, creating pressure in the waters around Taiwan. At the same time, he stressed that a single observation is insufficient to determine the vessels’ missions or confirm coordination between them.
