Taiwan: A Chinese sail fleet sailed within just two nautical miles (3. 7km ) of Taiwan’s Hengchun Peninsula this week, prompting concern from observers and authorities about a possible “gray zone” tactic by Beijing, Taipei Times reported.
The incident was reported by Taiwan ADIZ, a human Facebook group that monitors Taiwanese military exercise near Taiwan, which posted images showing the vehicle plainly visible from the shore in Pingtung County.
The ship was identified as the Gulangyu, a Bermuda-registered cruise vessel with a capability of up to 1,800 people. Taiwan ADIZ noted that if completely occupied, the number of people on board would be almost similar to a battalion-sized defense system.
” If such events become daily, they could cause a major threat to Taiwan’s protection,” the group wrote, pointing to the potential for such warships to be repurposed in fight cases.
Images reportedly filmed by a passenger on board was afterwards posted to Taiwanese social media, showing views of the Hengchun Peninsula overlaid with the information in reduced Taiwanese:” Taiwan is China,” reported Taipei Times.
Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling responded to the event on Friday, saying the government may be alert, calling it part of China’s broader “gray area” strategy–coercive deeds that stop short of armed conflict. She added that the government has launched a cross-agency mechanism to monitor maritime activity and would enhance coordination with the Maritime and Port Bureau and national security agencies.
Kuan said that after entering Taiwan’s territorial waters around 2pm on Wednesday, the Gulangyu was tracked by the Coast Guard Administration and later exited toward the northeast without altering its speed or course. The incident was believed to be a “united front” effort by Beijing, she added.
The government is developing a dedicated intelligence and tracking database for vessels operating in sensitive areas, including undersea cable zones, particularly those with Chinese capital or operating under flags of convenience, Taipei Times reported.
The coast guard is charged with monitoring such ships, while the Maritime and Port Bureau enforces the Regulations on the Administration of Innocent Passage of Foreign Vessels.
