Taiwan, China coast guards in standoff at top of South China Sea
Source: Reuters
The Taiwanese and Chinese coast guards were engaged in a tense standoff for the second day near the strategically located Pratas islands at the top of the South China Sea, Taiwan's Coast Guard said on Sunday.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position the government in Taipei rejects. China has pressured Taiwan by increasing its military presence around the island over the past five years.
Lying roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Taiwan-controlled Pratas are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance - more than 400 km (250 miles) - from Taiwan island.
Taiwan's Coast Guard said on Saturday it had spotted a Chinese Coast Guard ship heading to the Pratas and immediately sent its own ship which broadcast warnings and the two sides "engaged in an intense verbal confrontation over sovereignty via radio."
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/taiwan-china-coast-guards-standoff-top-south-china-sea-2026-05-24/
TAIPEI, May 24 (Reuters)
By Reuters
May 24, 20263:33 AM EDT
Updated 8 mins ago
Photo which emphasizes the close proximity of the two territories at the link.