TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Vietnamese military analyst on Tuesday (April 11) posted a map containing satellite images showing at least 11 Taiwanese and Chinese warships involved in five possible encounters at the edge of Taiwan's contiguous zone.
On Sunday (April 9), Reuters cited a security source as saying that 20 military vessels, half Taiwanese and half Chinese were involved in a "stand-off" close to the Taiwan Strait median line. According to the source, the warships “did not behave provocatively.”
Vietnamese military analyst Duan Dang on Tuesday morning posted a map with satellite images from the Sentinel-2 satellite showing "Chinese and Taiwanese warships facing each other in the waters surrounding Taiwan on April 10." The map shows five locations where a "possible stand-off" occurred, including off Taiwan's north, northwest, southwest, and east coasts.
Duan told Taiwan News that thus far, he has been able to confirm at least 11 military ships from China and Taiwan were involved in these standoffs "at the border of Taiwan's contiguous zone," which extends 24 nautical miles (44.4 km) from the coast. He said that more analysis will be needed to determine the types of ships, nationality, exact number, and precise locations.
New map adds contiguous zone, distinguishes Chinese from Taiwanese ships. (Twitter, @duandang image)
Based on his findings, Duan said that of the ships involved, some appear to be coast guard vessels, particularly among the Taiwanese crafts spotted. At noon on Tuesday, Duan posted another map, in which he included Taiwan's contiguous zone and color-coded Chinese warships and Taiwanese vessels in the five areas where confrontations were believed to have occurred.
In response to the meeting between Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Saturday (April 8) announced three days of military exercises around Taiwan dubbed "Joint Sword." From Saturday to Monday (April 10), China deployed 232 military aircraft and 32 naval vessels in and around Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
Chinese and Taiwanese warships facing each other in the waters surrounding Taiwan on April 10. pic.twitter.com/qqpQL9Krpl
— Duan Dang (@duandang) April 10, 2023
I added a layer of Taiwan's contiguous zone to the map in order to gain a better understanding of the situation in the waters surrounding Taiwan on April 10th. There are at least 5 encounters between vessels from both sides at the borders of the contiguous zone. pic.twitter.com/rtHQnpy9np
— Duan Dang (@duandang) April 11, 2023
