A Taiwan coast guard observer scans the Chinese patrol vessel CCG-3501 near Dongsha Island on May 24, 2026. (Taiwan coast guard)
China’s coast guard, with a record of run-ins with Philippine vessels since 1999, sparred with its Taiwanese counterpart in the South China Sea over the weekend.
Vessels from both coast guards stood off near the Taiwan-administered island of Dongsha, according to Taiwanese officials.
The 5,500-ton Chinese coast guard patrol vessel CCG-3501 was spotted heading for Dongsha on Saturday morning, Taiwan’s coast guard said in a Sunday news release.
Taiwan’s 1,000-ton patrol vessel Taichung approached the Chinese ship after it entered waters claimed by Taiwan that extend from 12 to 24 nautical miles offshore, the release said.
The vessels sent radio warnings in Chinese and English asserting jurisdiction and ordering each other to leave the area during the standoff, which continued through Sunday morning, according to the service.
“The Chinese vessel arrogantly claimed that China has sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Dongsha Islands,” the coast guard said of a Chinese radio message.
The Taiwanese vessel broadcast back: “Your actions prove that China’s peace is a scam. The international community will not support you. Please do not destroy peace; you should return and fight for democracy.”
So far this year, the Taiwanese coast guard has expelled Chinese counterparts from waters around Dongsha six times, Taiwan’s state-run Central News Agency reported Sunday.
The standoff ended after 33 hours, The Taipei Times reported Monday, citing the coast guard.
Dongsha, also known as Pratas, is a coral atoll administered by Taiwan, but claimed by China. The island is about 280 miles southwest of Kaohsiung and garrisoned by about 300 Taiwanese coast guardsmen, according to the agency.
Taiwan also controls Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, about 900 miles southwest of Kaohsiung and occupied by another 200 coast guard personnel, the agency reported.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, putting it at odds with its neighbors. The Chinese have built military facilities in the disputed territory.
Between 2021 and 2024, China’s coast guard blocked or disrupted Philippine resupply missions to outposts in the South China Sea, including use of water cannons and at least one close-quarter skirmish, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
The two sides reached a “provisional understanding” in July 2024 that reduced dangerous encounters during Philippine resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal, according to the initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to reunify democratic Taiwan with the communist mainland, by force if necessary.
