Taiwan says Chinese vessels entered disputed waters in South China Sea
Key takeaways
- Taiwan said that Chinese vessels "openly intruded" on disputed waters around Itu Aba island in the South China Sea on Thursday, staying for 15 minutes before the Taiwanese coast guard expelled them.
- By: FRANCE 24 A file photo shows an aerial view of Taiwan's Taiping island, also known as Itu Aba, in the Spratly archipelago taken on March 23, 2016.
- The two Chinese vessels "openly intruded" into the waters around the Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island and stayed for 15 minutes before the Taiwanese coast guard expelled them, the force said in a statement.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Taiwan said that Chinese vessels "openly intruded" on disputed waters around Itu Aba island in the South China Sea on Thursday, staying for 15 minutes before the Taiwanese coast guard expelled them. The island is claimed by Taiwan, China, the Philippines and Vietnam.
By: FRANCE 24 A file photo shows an aerial view of Taiwan's Taiping island, also known as Itu Aba, in the Spratly archipelago taken on March 23, 2016. © Taiwan's Ministry of Defense via AP Taiwan said Chinese ships entered the "prohibited" waters off a disputed island in the South China Sea for the first time on Thursday, condemning escalating "harassment" by Beijing.
The two Chinese vessels "openly intruded" into the waters around the Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island and stayed for 15 minutes before the Taiwanese coast guard expelled them, the force said in a statement.