Unidentified Chinese Vessel Detained Near Taiwan’s Waters

Screengrab from YouTube video by Allan Jordan

In a recent operation, Taiwan’s Coast Guard intercepted a Chinese fuel barge that was illegally navigating restricted waters off its northwest coast. This vessel, lacking any name or registration—frequently enough referred to as a “three-no” ship—raised immediate suspicions.

Authorities believe the barge was supplying fuel to Chinese fishing boats operating unlawfully in Taiwanese territory. The crew and the vessel are now under investigation.

This incident unfolded on March 23 when an unidentified ship entered a no-go zone roughly 20 nautical miles (37 km) from Yongan Fishing Port in Taoyuan’s Xinwu District. The Coast Guard spotted it about three nautical miles into restricted waters and made several attempts to communicate with the crew, who chose to ignore these calls and continued their journey.

When Coast Guard patrols approached for inspection, the barge tried to evade capture by zigzagging through the water. Though, personnel successfully boarded it after intercepting its path.

upon inspection, they discovered that all identifying marks had been either painted over or removed entirely.To make matters worse, there were no registration documents found on board.

Video Credits: Allan Jordan/YouTube

The authorities reported that this vessel was carrying approximately 500,000 liters of fuel along with equipment typically used for transferring fuel—a clear indication of its intent to supply nearby Chinese fishing vessels operating without permission.

There were six crew members aboard; all are believed to be Chinese nationals but shockingly lacked any form of identification. They have since been taken into custody while further investigations unfold at Taipei Port.

Chinese vessels have frequently found themselves in hot water recently; just this January, one was implicated in damaging an undersea communication cable. In February alone, another ship dragged its anchor across sensitive cables causing more damage. Just last week, Taiwan expelled yet another Chinese research