China Claims ‘Safeguarding Order’ Near Taiwan-Controlled Pratas Islands Amid Rising Tensions
Beijing asserts authority over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, sparking regional friction as coast guard vessels enter restricted South China Sea waters.
POLICY WIRE — Beijing, China — The Chinese government announced on Wednesday that its coast guard is actively safeguarding order in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands, a strategically vital atoll currently under Taiwan’s control at the northern edge of the South China Sea.
This declaration follows a series of maritime incidents, including a Friday afternoon event where two Chinese coast guard vessels, identified as 3301 and 3303, breached restricted waters. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) responded by deploying its own vessels to monitor the situation and issue orders for the Chinese ships to depart.
Beijing maintains that it holds indisputable sovereignty over the Pratas Islands, often referred to as the Dongsha Islands. Chinese officials describe their ongoing patrols as necessary law enforcement activities, a stance that Taipei consistently rejects.
Taiwanese authorities have characterized these maneuvers as provocative, warning that Beijing’s policy toward the atoll is becoming increasingly aggressive. Taipei maintains that the future of the islands must be decided solely by its own people, dismissing China’s claims of jurisdiction.
The region has seen a pattern of recurring activity, including a June 5, 2026, incident where the Chinese coast guard vessel No. 3501 entered restricted waters. The following day, the survey ship Hai Si Lu No. 6 was observed conducting hydrographic operations approximately 32.75 nautical miles southeast of the atoll, signaling a broader strategy of armed coercion.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
