Pratas Water Cannon Adds to Coast Guard Friction
Beijing said on Wednesday that Taiwan must “bear the consequences” after its Coast Guard used a water cannon on a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands. Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua called the mainland vessels’ presence “entirely legal and justified”; a Taiwanese official told Reuters the response was “normal law enforcement” and “very careful and proportionate,” the Straits Times reported.
Separately, Taiwan News reported that Taiwan’s Coast Guard drove away four Chinese coast guard ships near Kinmen on Tuesday after nearly two hours. The same four vessels were expelled on Friday, and Taipei called the move “fake law enforcement and real expansion of power.”
China’s defence ministry also said the Liaoning carrier group is training in the western Pacific under its annual plan and “not directed against any specific country,” the Japan Times reported, noting Tokyo is expected to monitor closely.
Together, the reports describe friction at sea on several fronts; they do not show a coordinated or escalating operation.