Taiwan says it has expelled a Chinese research vessel that was carrying out an “illegal” survey near the island.

TAIPEI, May 11 — Taiwan’s coast guard said it had disrupted what it described as “illegal” survey operations by a Chinese research vessel near the island and forced it to leave the area, amid what it called an ongoing pattern of increased maritime activity by China.

According to a statement, the coast guard detected the vessel “Tongji” last Thursday about 29 nautical miles southeast of southern Taiwan. The ship, commissioned last year, was operating just outside restricted waters.

Authorities said the vessel was seen deploying ropes into the sea, suspected to be part of unauthorised scientific data collection. In response, a Taiwanese coast guard ship was dispatched to intercept it.

The coast guard said it manoeuvred closely to create wake disturbance and issued repeated warnings ordering the vessel to stop its activities and leave the area.

The “Tongji” later retrieved its equipment and changed course, leaving Taiwan’s waters, according to the statement. The coast guard added that it continued to monitor the ship until Monday, when it moved further away.

Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Taiwan said Chinese research ships have repeatedly attempted what it considers illegal surveys in its waters and urged Beijing to halt such activities.

Chinese state media has previously described the “Tongji” as a multi-purpose research vessel capable of operating in all weather conditions and equipped with laboratories, remotely operated systems and other advanced tools for marine studies and offshore engineering.

Alongside frequent military activity around Taiwan — which China claims as its territory — Taipei has also accused Beijing of using civilian vessels in so-called “grey zone” tactics aimed at applying pressure and exhausting its resources. — Reuters