Taiwan says Chinese coast guard, research ships near key South China Sea islands

Taiwan said on June 6 that a Chinese coast guard ship and a survey ship had carried out the first coordinated operation to "provoke" Taiwan, in waters around strategically located islands in the South China Sea.



The Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, a national park towards the northern end of the South China Sea and lightly defended by the coast guard, have emerged as a new pressure point in China's ongoing military and quasi-military operations around Taiwan in an effort to assert Beijing's sovereignty claims.



The islands between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance – more than 400km – from Taiwan island.



Taiwan's coast guard said in a statement that along with a Chinese coast guard ship that had approached the Pratas on June 5, a Chinese oceanographic survey vessel approached the islands on June 6.



"This is the first observed instance of Chinese coast guard and survey vessels acting in coordination to provoke Taiwan," it said.