Taiwan expelled Chinese ships from its waters.
The incident occurred amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei, accompanied by mutual warnings between the parties.
Taiwan's coast guard has announced that four Chinese state vessels that entered restricted waters in the southern part of the country have been expelled from the area, as reported by Reuters.
It is reported that the incident occurred amid heightened maritime tensions between Taiwan and China.
According to Taiwanese officials, four Chinese vessels, including three coast guard ships, entered restricted waters located southwest of the southern part of the island on Sunday. In response, Taiwan dispatched seven coast guard vessels and called on the Chinese ships to leave the area. By the end of the day, all ships had departed the area.
The incident followed plans by Japan and the Philippines to begin formal negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation. Beijing expressed dissatisfaction, stating that this process also applies to the waters around Taiwan.
Chinese state media had previously reported that ships were dispatched to conduct a "special maritime law enforcement operation" in the waters east of Taiwan.
Taiwan's coast guard also released a recording of radio communication between the parties. In it, a Chinese officer emphasized that the area where the ships were located falls under Chinese jurisdiction.
The Taiwanese side, however, stated that Beijing has no sovereign rights in these waters.
In recent weeks, Taiwan has noted a significant increase in the activity of Chinese coast guard vessels. In particular, several confrontations have been observed around the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea.
Chinese military forces are also operating near Taiwan almost daily. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it does not rule out the use of force if necessary. The Taiwanese government has consistently rejected these claims.
Joseph Wu, Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council, criticized China's actions on social media, accusing Beijing of escalating pressure in the region.
