A fleet of ships is continuously anchoring near the southwestern coast of Taiwan, located near the cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung. This gathering includes more than 75 ships that are averaging in this area. The ships frequently enter, stop at this location, and then leave, but the overall number has remained relatively stable.
Gathering of ships and their types
In addition to this main gathering, several other ships are also congregating at sea, and there is another anchorage area in northern Taiwan where ships are gathering. These gatherings have clearly increased since March. Most of the ships include tankers and chemical product carriers, and due to their age, 65 of the 75 ships present in this area fall into the high-risk category according to Tokyo Convention criteria.
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Challenges and uncertainties for Taiwanese officials
Taiwanese officials, especially the Coast Guard Administration, are investigating these gatherings and express concerns about a possible common purpose for this group of ships. Most of these ships are flying flags of convenience or fake flags from six countries including Cameroon, Comoros, Mongolia, Tanzania, Togo, and Sierra Leone. Additionally, many of these ships appear to be operated by Chinese crews and are owned by companies registered in mainland China.
Some of the suspicious ships in this gathering include the Sierra Leone-flagged tankers Huixin (IMO 9175133) and Athena (IMO 9063811). Cargo ships such as Midas or Magician 66 (IMO 9020637) and Long An (IMO 9140255) are also on this list. Several ships have been trading with North Korea or have been identified by Taiwanese authorities as security risks.
These ships do not appear to have stopped in this area for loading or unloading cargo, and most of them are empty. This situation raises questions about how these ships are being maintained at sea without generating revenue. It seems that the owners are incurring losses either due to financial assistance for using these ships in these areas or due to the existence of a hidden source of income.
Taiwanese officials initially thought that these ships might be positioned in this area for security or intelligence purposes. The southwestern gathering is located about 15 miles from three major air bases in Taiwan. However, the Taiwanese Coast Guard can inspect nearby ships, and no military equipment has been found on these vessels. Some analysts believe that these ships may be trying to normalize China's presence in Taiwan's waters.
Currently, these ships may be operating by provoking Chinese authorities to damage internet cables. Some of these ships have been identified as engaging in this activity. Analysts also believe that some of these ships may belong to organized crime groups in China and are involved in smuggling food into mainland China. These views are supported by the location of the gathering and Taiwan's legal restrictions on inspecting ships.
Ultimately, no explanation can fully clarify the purpose of this gathering of ships. Taiwanese officials seem to lack a proper understanding of this situation, as they have the legal right to inspect or seize ships if there are suspicious reasons. Reports indicate that they have managed to drive away 240 ships from this area, but these ships continue to return to this location.
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