The military confirmed that marines are once again garrisoning Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙島) and augmenting its defenses in response to increased Chinese military action in the South China Sea, which has highlighted the island’s strategic importance.
A military source with knowledge of the matter said that the marines had been in charge of the island’s defense until Feb. 1, 2000, when that duty was transferred to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).
However, increased incursions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force in Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone and the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s activities in the West Pacific, including the buildup of military infrastructure on islands and atolls in the South China Sea, have prompted the Ministry of National Defense to reconsider the strategic value of Pratas Island.
Photo: Taipei Times
The military moved a reinforced company of marines to Pratas Island in the first half of 2020 for “training.”
However, the military also established a more permanent Marines Dongsha Command Center, headed by the deputy commander of the Marine Corps’ 99th Brigade, the source said.
The source said that the Presidential Office casually mentioned the marines’ return to Pratas Island in a video call between former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and then-Dongshan Command Center commander Lin Chia-hung (林家宏) during an inspection of the Marines Command Center on June 20, 2020.
The Ministry of National Defense said in 2020 that the marines’ stay was temporary and they were there to train CGA personnel, adding that the military held regular exercises with the CGA to bolster the defenses of Pratas Islands and the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島).
Pratas Island fields 120mm mortars and 40mm anti-air autocannons, operated by CGA personnel, and would see the addition of dual mount Stinger systems, Kestrel anti-armor rockets and other equipment once the marines are officially stationed on the island, the source said.
In addition, the Navy Command Headquarters listed a budget item for NT$27 million (US$844,000) in fiscal year 2025 for commercial transport of navy personnel to and from Pratas Island, vehicle rentals and logistic resupplies.
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