Dongsha Islands Recent Updates

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) recently verified that it sent ships to drive away a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Chinese fishing boat active near Dongsha Island.

Regarding the Dongsha Islands

The Dongsha Islands, referred to as the Pratas Islands, comprise a small cluster of three islands situated in the northern region of the South China Sea.

It is located around 445 km to the southwest of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and 320 km to the southeast of Hong Kong.

Taiwan administers the Dongsha Islands. There are no residents living permanently. However, Taiwanese soldiers are deployed in that area.

These islands feature a round coral atoll formation.

They consist mainly of clastic coral and reef flats nearly 15 miles (24 kilometers) wide, surrounding a lagoon that is around 10 miles (16 kilometers) wide.

The group of islands comprises Dongsha Island, the sole island above sea level, approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in length and just over 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) in width, alongside the Northern Vereker and Southern Vereker atolls, which are both submerged.