China militia boat spotted for first time off Taiwan's east coast, patrol finds
Authorities identified the boat as part of the People's Liberation Army's maritime militia fleet, which Taiwan was tracking and which was operating "in coordination with Chinese coast guard."
In mid-August, Taiwan's Apex Aviation surveillance team detected a Chinese militia boat, along with a coast guard cutter and a research vessel, operating in the eastern Pacific near Taiwan. The Chinese vessel, identified as Minfudingyu 07902, is a fishing boat that doubles as a militia ship, according to the surveillance report.
This marks the first known sighting of such a craft in the area. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military activity off the island's eastern coast since June, according to Taiwan's defense ministry. Defense officials say they believe China is practicing for a potential maritime blockade using a mix of military, paramilitary, and civilian assets.
The area is critical to wartime supply routes for Taiwan's allies. Taiwan's defense ministry stated that China is using law enforcement and scientific research as cover for harassment, aiming to expand their scope of operations in a non-conflict scenario to create an illusion of de facto jurisdiction. The island's military is tracking Chinese activity with reconnaissance tools in coordination with other agencies, including Taiwan's coast guard.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
