Taiwan’s Coast Guard is investigating a mysterious ship intercepted in its restricted waters. The unmarked vessel had no identifying flag or registered home port and was crewed by six people believed to be Chinese nationals—none of whom carried identification. The ship was carrying 500,000 liters of fuel, suspected to be used for refueling illegal fishing boats. Authorities say the incident is part of an uptick in Chinese gray zone tactics aimed at wearing down Taiwan’s defenses.
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00:00No name, no flag and no home port. That's the status of a suspected Chinese civilian ship detained and under investigation
00:07by Taiwan's Coast Guard. The ship intercepted inside Taiwan's restricted waters on Sunday had six crew members,
00:14all of whom are suspected Chinese nationals,
00:17but none of them were carrying ID. On the ship was half a million liters of fuel,
00:21which the Coast Guard suspects was meant for refueling illegal fishing boats in Taiwan's restricted waters.
00:27The vessel and crew are now in Taipei Harbor where the investigation is underway.
00:32The incident is part of a slew of recent maritime activity from Chinese government and civilian vessels around Taiwan.
00:38The Coast Guard says it's part of China's gray zone strategy aimed at wearing down the country's defenses.
00:44That includes multiple instances of Chinese civilian ships cutting Taiwan's underwater internet cables in recent months.
00:50And just last week, Chinese Coast Guard vessels were chased out of Taiwan's restricted waters near its outlying Jinmen Islands.
00:58When you combine China's frequent military drills with the flurry of recent civilian incidents,
01:03it adds up to a lot of pressure on Taiwan's Coast Guard and military. Scott Huang, Yixin Chen and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.