Pratas Island Explained

Disputed:yes
Pratas Island
Other Names:Tungsha Island
Dongsha Island
Location:South China Sea
Total Islands:1[1] [2] [3]
Area Ha:174
Area Footnotes:(land), 64ha (lagoon)[4]
Length Km:2.8
Width Km:0.865
Country Admin Divisions Title:Municipality
District
Country Admin Divisions:Kaohsiung
Cijin (Qijin)
Country1 Admin Divisions Title:Province
Prefecture-level city
District
Country1 Admin Divisions:Guangdong
Shanwei (Swabue)

Chengqu

Pratas Island,[5] [6] also known as the Tungsha Islands or the Dongsha Islands, is a coral island situated in the northern part of the South China Sea[4] [1] [2] [3] administered as part of Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.[7] [8] [9] It is located about southeast of Hong Kong.[10] [11] It has an area of about, including of lagoon, and is the largest of the South China Sea Islands.[12] It is the location of the Dongsha Airport.

There are three undersea features in the waters associated with Pratas Island: Pratas Atoll, North Vereker Bank and South Vereker Bank.[4] [13] [14] The atoll is circular, and the crescent-shaped Pratas Island occupies its western part. Below the ocean's surface to the northwest (21°N 116°W) of Pratas Island, North Vereker Bank rises to below sea level and South Vereker Bank to below sea level.[15]

There are numerous oil wells to the west of the banks.[16] In 2007, the Dongsha Atoll National Park was established on the island. The People's Republic of China claims the island,[9] atoll and banks as part of Guangdong Province.

Pratas Islands

[17] Pratas Atoll is also called Pratas Reef.[18]

Tungsha Island[19] [20] [21] (Tung-sha Tao) is the Wade–Giles-derived romanization of the Mandarin Chinese name for the island, and Dongsha Island[22] (Dongsha Dao) is the pinyin-derived name. A smaller island with the same Chinese character name is located in the Taiwan-administered Dongyin Township in the Matsu Islands in the East China Sea.[23] [24]

The area including the island, atoll and banks is also called the Pratas Islands[4] [1] [25], the Tungsha Islands[26] [25] [27] [28] and the Dongsha Islands.[1] [29] Despite these names, Pratas Island is the only island;[4] [1] [2] [30] [31] there is no group of islands.[3]

History

The East Indiaman was wrecked on Pratas Island on or about 22 October 1800 with the loss of all aboard. At the time the island was known to British sailors as "Perates". In 1851, the British screw sloop wrecked on the south-east bend of Pratas Atoll while going to the aid of another wrecked vessel; the crew were all saved.[32] Decades later, the boilers and parts of the machinery of the wreckage of HMS Reynard remained visible on the atoll.[33]

In 1859–1861, there was a correspondence between the British Colonial Office and the Hong Kong colonial authorities about building a lighthouse on the main island on the atoll. Despite an offer by a British businessman in Xiamen (Amoy) to build it, it was decided that the cost was too great and the matter lapsed. It is clear from the correspondence that no one supposed the atoll to be a part of any known jurisdiction, so negotiations might have been required to ensure that any construction would be legal.[34]

One consequence of that initiative was that, in 1858, the Royal Navy survey ship completed the first detailed survey of the atoll, resulting in the Plan of the Pratas Reef and Island, J. Richards and others, April 1858, being published by the British Admiralty.[35] On the resulting chart three positions are proposed for a lighthouse: on Pratas Island, on the north-east corner, or on the southern edge near where HMS Reynard had stranded. In the north-east corner of the lagoon the chart notes "Anchorage for junks", indicating regular use by fishing and other small vessels taking shelter. The chart's rubric noted that the available safe draft for vessels entering was only, so it was restricted to relatively small vessels only.

In 1866, naturalist Cuthbert Collingwood visited Pratas Island and later published a description of it.

In 1908–1909, a Japanese businessman named Nishizawa Yoshizi (西澤吉次) established a guano collecting station. He destroyed the Dawang Joss House (大王庙), dug up graves and poured the bone ashes of Chinese fishermen into the sea, and renamed the atoll "Nishizawa Island".[36] [37] After a diplomatic confrontation, Chinese sovereignty was re-established, and Nishizawa withdrew, after being compensated by the Guangdong provincial government, and after paying compensation for the destruction of a Chinese fishermen's shrine.[38]

In December 1930, the schooner (Sweden) ran aground on a coral reef off Pratas Island and was wrecked.[39] [40]

On 22 May 1944, the Japanese gunboat was torpedoed and sunk by the US submarine, in the South China Sea off Pratas Island at 21.1333°N 137°W, while towing the disabled passenger-cargo ship Tsukuba Maru. Casualties are unknown but her commanding officer was killed.[41]

Japanese naval personnel occupied Pratas Island during World War II. The Japanese Navy used the island as a weather station and listening post. On May 29, 1945, at 10:22 AM, a landing party consisting of Australian commandos and US naval personnel from the submarine raised the US flag, declared the island a United States territory, and named it Bluegill Island. The landing party destroyed a radio tower, weather station, fuel and ammunition dumps, and several buildings. They encountered no resistance because the Japanese had left the island prior to the arrival of Bluegill.[42] [43] [44]

Pratas Island was later restored to Guangdong Province of the Republic of China (ROC).[45] On September 12, 1946, the navy of the Republic of China took over and garrisoned Pratas Island.[4] [7]

On 6 June 1949, the ROC established the Hainan Special Administrative District (海南特別行政區), which included Pratas Island.[7] [8]

In autumn 1954, the senior ROC politician Chiang Ching-kuo visited the island and made an inspection.[7]

On 9 June 1960, during Typhoon Mary, the Hong Kong cargo ship was driven against Pratas Reef and wrecked. Her 55 crew took to the liferafts and were rescued by the USS Yorktown (CV-10).[46] [47]

While underway in the South China Sea on 18 July 1965, the USS Frank Knox ran aground on Pratas Reef, and was only freed on 24 August after a very difficult salvage effort.[48] [49]

On 13 April 1996, the jurisdiction of the Taiwan Kaohsiung District Court was extended to include Tungsha Island (Pratas Island).[50]

In May 1999, Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh visited the island and hung an address plate on the island’s fishing service station. On 21 December 2000, ROC President Chen Shui-bian visited the island with Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh.[51] On 28 July 2005, President Chen Shui-bian again visited the island and inaugurated the Fifth Maritime Patrol Squad of the Coast Guard Administration.[52]

In January 2007, the ROC government designated the Pratas atoll as the Dongsha Atoll National Park, the first marine national park in Taiwan.[53]

On 8 January 2013, an office of Chunghwa Post was established on Pratas Island.[54]

In September 2020, the PRC conducted air drills over the waters between the main island of Taiwan and Pratas Island that intruded into the ROC air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The planes were issued radio warnings by the ROC military until they left.[55]

On 15 October 2020, a regular civilian charter flight by Uni Air had to abandon its trip from the main island of Taiwan to Pratas Island when Hong Kong air traffic controllers told the captain of the aircraft that there were "dangerous activities" happening below 26000feet and that the Uni Air aircraft could not enter the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR). The transcript of the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control was released by the ROC Civil Aeronautics Administration.[1] [56] [57] [58] [59] The next day, the ROC Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa called on PRC not to "disrupt the order of international aviation".[60] [61] On 20 October, Deputy Chief of the ROC General Staff, Lieutenant-General Li Ting-sheng (李廷盛), visited Pratas Island. He made an inspection of the living facilities of the military personnel and gave them instructions.[62] On 26 October, the same Uni Air aircraft made the round trip flight between the main island of Taiwan and Pratas Island.[63] [64]

On 27 October 2020, a Y8 PRC military aircraft entered ROC air defense identification zone (ADIZ) between the main island of Taiwan and Pratas Island for the twenty-first time that month.[65] On 28 October, Zhu Fenglian of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the PRC was asked whether, in light of PLA military exercises in Fujian and Guangdong, there was or was not a plan to take Pratas Island from the ROC. Feng responded that she did not have to answer hypothetical questions.[66] [67] On 2 November, eight Chinese PLAAF aircraft breached the ROC ADIZ above an area of sea near Pratas Island.[68] On 3 November, Y-8 plane entered the ADIZ of the ROC in the area between the main island of Taiwan and Pratas Island.[69] On 4 November, the ROC Minister of National Defense, Yen Teh-fa, stated in a legislative hearing that since January 2020, 276 PRC military planes had entered the airspace between the main island of Taiwan and Pratas Island, activity that Yen associated with plans by the PRC for a creating its own ADIZ in the South China Sea.[56] [70] On 6 December, a PRC air force Y-8 plane entered the Taiwan ADIZ between the main island of Taiwan and Pratas Island, the fifth day in December that PRC military aircraft entered Taiwan's ADIZ.[71]

Geography

Pratas Island is located 444km (276miles) from the rest of Kaoshiung,[72] 850km (530miles) southwest of Taipei, 320km (200miles) southeast of Hong Kong[73] and 260km (160miles) south of Shantou, Guangdong[74] in the northern part of the South China Sea (20.7167°N 158°W). An international team of researchers conducted a comprehensive population genetic analysis of 11 marine species sampled from the island. They concluded that Dongsha Atoll is an important regional stepping-stone that promotes genetic connectivity among South China Sea reefs, as marine larvae can potentially reach a large number of reefs in the northern South China Sea.[75] The protection of the island and surrounding reefs by the Taiwanese government as Dongsha Atoll National Park may therefore benefit the entire region.

Pratas Island is 2.8km (01.7miles) long and 0.865km (00.537miles) wide; it is the only feature of the group above sea level. The island is made up of coral atolls and reef flats. Brush, vines and bushes cover some of the island - the rest is white sand. Flora and fauna on and around Pratas Island include:

In the Journal of Science (April 1867) there is a nine-page article entitled "The Natural History of Pratas Island in the China Sea" by Dr. Cuthbert Collingwood, the naturalist on board . It describes what was observed, especially bird life, during a visit of two days while the survey ship lay at anchor. Collingwood explored the island on 30 April 1866.[76]

The Vereker Banks (21°N 116°W) are 74km (46miles) northwest of Pratas Atoll.[77] North and South Vereker Banks are under water.[78] North Vereker Bank (北衛灘[79]) rises to below sea level with an average depth of to below sea level. A well head with a depth of lies off North Vereker Bank. Two to three miles of deep water separate North Vereker Bank and South Vereker Bank. South Vereker Bank (南衛灘[79]) rises to below sea level. A well head, in a depth of over, lies 28miles north of the Vereker Banks at 21.6333°N 119°W. The associated production platform and SPM make up Lu Feng Terminal; the terminal is enclosed by a restricted area. Exploration for oil is taking place in this area.[15]

There are also some seamount formations nearby which are not part of the three atolls:

Politics and government

The island is part of the Republic of China (Taiwan) with the postal code 817. Although there are no long-term inhabitants on the island, Pratas is administered by the Kaohsiung City Government under Cijin District (Qijin). The island has been uninhabited, yet nations (including China and Japan) have claimed them to be their overseas territory.

Military

, about five hundred Taiwanese marines were stationed on Pratas Island. The island has a network of underground bunkers.[80] According to regulations updated on December 2, 2020, in the event that communication is cut off between mainland Taiwan and Pratas Island or Taiping Island (Itu Aba), the highest-ranking local officer can make the decision to fire back at assailants.[81]

Cross-strait relations

The People's Republic of China claims the Pratas Islands (Chinese: 东沙群岛) as part of Chengqu, Shanwei (Swabue), Guangdong Province.[82] [83] [84] [85]

According to an anonymous PLA source, plans created around 2010 by China for an air defence identification zone in the South China Sea include Pratas Island airspace.[86] The PLA's actions near the southwest corner of the Taiwan ADIZ and Pratas Island in late 2020 led to speculation that the area might be declared part of an ADIZ by China.[70] [87] [88]

In the later half of 2020, repeated reports of Chinese military exercises and fly overs near the island were interpreted as an apparent attempt to cut off the supply line between Pratas Island and mainland Taiwan.[89]

Pratas Island settlement

As an island with no permanent inhabitants, it is visited largely by fishermen, military personnel and researchers. Amateur radio operators participating in the DXCC and Islands on the Air awards programs also visit occasionally.[90]

Landmarks

An obelisk was erected after 1946.

In 1954 the ROC Government personnel stationed on Pratas erected a stone tablet on the southern side of the island, facing the ocean.[91]

The Da Wang temple is dedicated to 'Kuang Kang' and 'The South China Sea Goddess' - Mazu. It is said that the statue of Guan Gong came to Pratas Island on a canoe in 1948. The soldiers on Pratas Island built a temple to worship her in 1975. Today, the canoe is still kept in the temple. The joss sticks and candles are donated by soldiers, as was the golden sign hung in front of the statue. There is an 'Ever Green' pavilion in front of the temple which was also built by the soldiers. It is the most verdant place on the island.

The Minister for Internal Affairs of the ROC erected the South China Sea Defense stone tablet to declare Republic of China sovereignty in 1989.

In July 1991 the Kaohsiung City Government erected the Pratas Island measuring memorial stone tablet as a symbol that Pratas Island falls within the jurisdiction of Kaohsiung City. Within Kaohsiung, the island belongs to Cijin District (Qijin).

The ROC Government established the Triangulation Benchmark as the triangulation point for Pratas Island in December 1991. There are words on each side of the base of the triangulation point stone tablet. They read 'The Pratas Triangulation Point' on the front, and 'Longitude: 116o 43" 42.5601'E, Latitude: 20o 42' 6.2415'N, Height: 2.4875 meters.' The words 'Defend the South China Sea', written by the commander, Lo Ben Li, were also engraved on the stone tablet. The National Tsing Hua University webpage about the island states: "In addition to making it more convenient to survey and draw navigational maps, and to construct and develop facilities on the island, the establishment of the triangulation point is also the basis of our sovereign rights."

Public buildings

The library is located on one side of the main plaza, and is the center for soldiers to obtain spiritual nourishment. The library contains more than two thousand books.

The military post office is Office No. 67. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications issued the 'South China Sea Islands Map Stamps' in 1996, as a set of two stamps. The inscription 'South China Sea Defense' from the national stone tablet on Pratas Island was printed on the five-dollar stamp, and the 'Defend the South China Sea' inscription from the national stone tablet on Taiping Island was printed on the seventeen-dollar stamp. The background was the south China coastline, Taiwan and Hainan Island with the blue sky and sea. This was the first time that the ROC had issued stamps with the theme of the South China Sea.

In 1987 the military and civilian occupants built the 'Pratas Fishermen's Service Station'. The station was built in traditional Chinese courtyard house style, and provides convenient services for fishermen and boats in the South China Sea, insuring the fishermen's safety and upholding ROC sovereignty. The services provided include lodging, medical rescue, entertainment and supply. The station also provides lodging for the scientists who come to conduct research on the island.

In 2012 National Sun Yat-sen University's Dongsha Atoll Research Station (DARS) was established for biology, biogeochemistry, and oceanography research.[92]

Energy

Diesel-fueled generators are used to power the island. In March 2016, a solar energy system built by the Coast Guard Administration went into operation. The system covers an area of 310.6 m2 and produces 53,200 kWh of electricity each year.[93]

Transportation

The Dongsha Island Airport features a runway located on the north end of Pratas Island with a small airport terminal at the eastern end. The airport is used by the ROC military. A main shack and subordinate shack are located on the southeast end of the island. There are no refueling facilities.

Two piers on the southeast shore allow for small watercraft to land.

A circle with a radius of 10nmi centered on Pratas Island, referred to as VHR7, is a prohibited area for aeronautical purposes. The 'VH' in VHR7 denotes 'Hong Kong' and the 'R' denotes a 'Restricted Area'.[20] Pratas Island and VHR7 are located within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR).[1] [94] [95]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hong Kong blocks Taiwan from reaching disputed Pratas Islands, saying airspace around disputed territory is closed 'until further notice'. 17 October 2020. 1 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201028162536/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3105930/hong-kong-blocks-taiwan-reaching-disputed-pratas-islands. 28 October 2020. live. South China Morning Post. The Pratas Islands, known as the Dongsha Islands in Chinese and located within Hong Kong airspace, comprise one island, two coral reefs and two banks.. Danny Lee.
  2. Web site: Limits in the Seas - No. 127 Taiwan's Maritime Claims. https://web.archive.org/web/20200715092100/https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/57674.pdf. 15 July 2020. live. November 15, 2005. July 1, 2012. United States Department of State. The Pratas Reef lies 230 miles to the southwest of the southern tip of Taiwan.26 It consists of an island in the mouth of a semicircular shoal open to the west. The segments D1-D4 close the mouth by connecting the headlands of the shoal with the island..
  3. Book: Disputed Islands in the South China Sea. https://web.archive.org/web/20170122061020/https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP08C01297R000300180013-8.pdf. 22 January 2017. dead. Dieter Heinzig. 1976. 3-447-01804-6. 14, 19, 32, 56. Harrassowitz . p.14: "Strictly speaking, only one of the four controversial archipelagos may truly be referred to as a group of islands: the Paracels. The Pratas consist of one island and two sands."
  4. Book: zh:東沙群島-東沙島紀事集錦. http://vm.nthu.edu.tw/np/vc/theme/pratas/. https://web.archive.org/web/20090130022327/http://vm.nthu.edu.tw/np/vc/theme/pratas/. 30 January 2009. 957-98189-0-8. 臺灣綜合研究院. zh-tw. Taipei. 1998. Lung Tsun-Ni Chinese: 龍村倪. p.13: "東沙島為東沙群島唯一島嶼" (Translation: Pratas Island is the only island in the Pratas Islands)
  5. Web site: China to conduct major military drill simulating seizure of Taiwan-held island. 14 May 2020. 4 November 2020. Japan Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20200514171019/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/14/asia-pacific/china-military-drill-taiwan/. 14 May 2020. live.
  6. , United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  7. Web site: https://www.marine.gov.tw/filesys/dlarea/47/file2.pdf. zh:東沙島地方志資源調查委託辦理計畫 成果報告. https://web.archive.org/web/20200709010041/https://www.marine.gov.tw/filesys/dlarea/47/file2.pdf. 9 July 2020. live. December 2008. 9 July 2020. 民國35年（1946年）9月，海軍負責接收東沙島，並設立東沙管理處；東沙氣象台由海軍負責管理。民國43年(1954年)秋季,國防部長蔣經國至島上視察.. 26. Marine National Park Headquarters Chinese: 海洋國家公園管理處. zh-tw.
  8. Book: Republic of China. 1985. 2nd. China Art Printing Works Yu Tai Industrial Corp., Ltd.. 5. Internet Archive.
  9. Web site: March 23, 2016. Amid disputes, Taiwan highlighting South China Seas claims. https://web.archive.org/web/20230527091652/https://apnews.com/article/7d8dee14664d4dac9d1e3c465e204f94. 27 May 2023. AP News. "Taiwan also has complete control of the Pratas Islands, which it calls Dongsha, centered on an atoll in the northern section of the South China Sea about 340 kilometers (211 miles) southeast of Hong Kong. Taiwan has designated the area a marine national park, but still operates a small airport there, maintains a garrison and operates a fishing boat aid station. China also claims Pratas, but has made no moves to dislodge the Taiwanese presence."
  10. http://vm.nthu.edu.tw/southsea/english.east.htm Pratas Islands
  11. https://www.fas.org/irp/world/taiwan/facility/pratas.htm Pratas Island Airfield
  12. Note that Woody Island in the Paracel Islands has a land area of 210 ha, which is greater than Pratas Island's 240-64=176 ha. Also, the PRC's land reclamation activities during 2014 & 2015 have created an "island" of ~230 ha at Fiery Cross Reef.
  13. Web site: Species composition and sizes of fish in the lagoon of Dongsha Island (Pratas Island), Dongsha Atoll of the South China Sea. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101001822/https://ws.nmmba.gov.tw/Download.ashx?u=LzAwMS9VcGxvYWQvT2xkRmlsZV9QdWJsaWNhdGlvbi9Qb3J0YWxzLzAvUHVibGljYXRpb24vTVAvMjAxMi0tUDI1LTMyLnBkZg%3D%3D&n=MjAxMi0tUDI1LTMyLnBkZg%3D%3D&icon=..pdf. 1 November 2020. Internet Archive. 26. live. National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium. Chih-Wei Chang . Chao-Sheng Huang . Shao-I Wang .
  14. Web site: zh-cn . . zh:南海诸岛 . http://www.igsnrr.ac.cn/kxcb/dlyzykpyd/zgdl/zghayjh/200703/t20070326_2154925.html . 2007-03-26 . 2011-10-13 . 2014-07-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714171755/http://www.igsnrr.ac.cn/kxcb/dlyzykpyd/zgdl/zghayjh/200703/t20070326_2154925.html . live .
  15. Book: South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. 161. Sailing Directions (Enroute). https://web.archive.org/web/20201102135711/https://msi.nga.mil/api/publications/download?key=16694491%2FSFH00000%2FPub161bk.pdf. 2 November 2020. 2020. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 17. Springfield, Virginia. live.
  16. http://www.oceangrafix.com/chart/zoom?chart=93006 Nautical Chart 93006
  17. Book: Lima, Marcos Costa. Perspectivas Asiáticas. 2016-11-01. Letra e Imagem Editora e Produções LTDA. 978-85-61012-75-5. pt-BR.
  18. Web site: General Catalogue of Mariners' Charts and Books. 1919. Government Printing Office. 108. Off-Lying Banks and Islands.
    2784 Pratas Reef and Island. Internet Archive.
  19. Web site: The ROC Ministry of the Interior released the following press release Dec. 12:ROC Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen presides over a ceremony marking the opening of a wharf and lighthouse on Taiping Island, demonstrating the ROC's commitment to making Taiping Island a peaceful and low-carbon island, as well as an ecological reserve, in accordance with the spirit of the South China Sea Peace Initiative. 1 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20170620164825/https://www.mofa.gov.tw/en/News_Content.aspx?n=8157691CA2AA32F8&sms=4F8ED5441E33EA7B&s=53076F54FAB51AAC. 20 June 2017. live. Tungsha Island.
  20. Web site: ENR 5 NAVIGATIONAL WARNINGS. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102202836/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Avqj8UG5ZhHIJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.ais.gov.hk%2Feaip_20200618%2F2020-08-13-000000%2Fhtml%2FeAIP%2FVH-ENR-5.1-en-US.html. 2 November 2020. 2 November 2020. VHR7 TUNGSHA (PRATAS) ISLAND Circle of 10 NM (18.5 km) radius centred at 2042N 11643E. Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Google Cache, Wayback Machine.
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20170109042157/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/joe-hung/2009/06/22/213223/Sovereignty-over.htm Sovereignty over the Spratly Islands
  22. Web site: Where is Dongsha island? How far is it from Taiwan?. https://web.archive.org/web/20200607054609/https://www.marine.gov.tw/services/faqs/96-About%20Dongsha%20Island/181-Where%20is%20Dongsha%20island?%20How%20far%20is%20it%20from%20Taiwan?. 7 June 2020. live. 22 May 2010. 1 October 2020.
  23. , United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  24. Book: http://web.matsu.gov.tw/Resource/pdf/92c882a0-f657-48a9-bd36-392e9663d914.pdf. zh:擬定連江縣風景特定區計畫說明書. https://web.archive.org/web/20200108035349/http://web.matsu.gov.tw/Resource/pdf/92c882a0-f657-48a9-bd36-392e9663d914.pdf. 8 January 2020. zh-tw. June 2002. 15, 16. Chinese: 東引地區 (北固礁、東沙島、雙子礁){....
  25. Book: The Changing Geography of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. 1992. Richard Louis Edmonds. The Changing Geography of Asia. Graham P. Chapman . Kathleen M. Baker. Routledge. 0-415-05707-8. 160. Since 1949, Taiwan has remained under Nationalist (Kuomintang) control ... In addition, the Nationalists maintain garrisons and weather stations in the South China Sea on T'ai-p'ing Island in the Nansha or Spratly Islands and in the Tungsha or Pratas Islands (see Figure 6.1)..
  26. Web site: Statement on the South China Sea. 7 July 2015. 7 July 2020. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  27. Book: The Republic of China at a Glance. May 2016. 7 July 2020. ROC Embassies and Missions Abroad. 4, 7, 8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs . 978-986-03-2703-8.
  28. Web site: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) reiterates that the Nansha Islands, the Shisha Islands, the Chungsha Islands and the Tungsha Islands, as well as their surrounding waters, sea beds and subsoil, are all an inherent part of the territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan).. 31 July 2017 .
  29. Web site: Dongsha. 29 August 2020. National Parks of Taiwan. This cross-domain cooperation effectively implemented the rat extermination program, and 721 mice were caught on the Dongsha Islands (Pratas Islands) in just one month..
  30. Web site: Settlement of disputes under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea The case of the South China Sea dispute. https://web.archive.org/web/20090710201905/https://www.un.org/Depts/los/nippon/unnff_programme_home/fellows_pages/fellows_papers/nguyen_0506_vietnam.pdf. 10 July 2009. live. Dong Manh Nguyen. December 2005. 8.
  31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8n3oKY0Mhk. zh:【海洋研究】東沙二十part1：擁有世界級珊瑚生態的神秘東沙島在哪裡？(我們的島 第933集 2017-12-04). 11 December 2017. 1 November 2020. zh-tw. 8:20. Public Television Service. YouTube. Our Island (我們的島). 東沙島則是唯一突出水面的島嶼.
  32. Web site: HMS Reynard. William Loney website. 8 February 2014.
  33. Book: On the Coasts of Cathay and Cipango. William Blakeney. Internet Archive. 66. 1902.
  34. UK National Archives, CO 129/75, pp.309-316
  35. Biblioteca Digital Hispanica, http://bdh.bne.es/bnesearch/detalle/bdh0000070710
  36. http://news.ccvic.com/zhuanti0427/huangyandao/2012/0427/192930_2.shtml CCVIC News: "挖我渔民祖坟，并将该岛改名为“西泽岛”。我渔民梁盛等向政府控诉西泽罪行"
  37. http://gd-info.gov.cn/books/182/%E5%A8%B4%E9%94%8B%E7%A3%B1%E6%B6%93%E5%BA%A2%E6%8D%A3%E5%AE%80%E6%B6%98%E7%B9%94(%E6%B6%93%E5%A9%81%E7%B4%B6).doc 地方志
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  56. Web site: Xi Doesn't Need to Invade Taiwan Right Now. Foreign Policy. Michael Mazza. 5 November 2020. 6 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201106113221/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/11/05/xi-taiwan-live-mazza/. 6 November 2020. live.
  57. News: Taiwan says Hong Kong warned of ongoing danger after South China Sea flight blocked. https://web.archive.org/web/20201016232447/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-hongkong-idUSKBN27121B. 16 October 2020. live. Ben Blanchard. 16 October 2020. 2 November 2020. Reuters.
  58. News: Leasing Pratas Islands to the US. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102193904/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/10/24/2003745686. 2 November 2020. live. 24 October 2020. Liu Shih-ming 劉熙明. Taipei Times.
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  60. News: Taiwan's defence chief rejects Hong Kong's explanation for turning back government flight to Pratas Islands. Danny Lee. South China Morning Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20201016075747/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3105815/hong-kong-rejects-suggestion-it-deliberately-stopped. 16 October 2020. live. 16 October 2020.
  61. News: Beijing must respect air travel: minister. 17 October 2020. 3 November 2020. Taipei Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20201017223823/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2020/10/17/2003745301. 17 October 2020. live.
  62. News: Taiwan's deputy military chief visits Dongsha Islands following plane row. 20 October 2020. 3 November 2020. Focus Taiwan. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022202451/https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202010200029. 22 October 2020. live.
  63. News: Taiwanese plane lands on Pratas after HK dispute. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102194249/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/10/27/2003745883. 2 November 2020. live. 27 October 2020. 2 November 2020. Taipei Times.
  64. News: Taiwanese plane lands in disputed Pratas Islands as scheduled after earlier turnback. https://web.archive.org/web/20201026091711/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3107105/taiwanese-plane-lands-disputed-pratas-islands-scheduled-after. 26 October 2020. live. South China Morning Post. Lawrence Chung.
  65. News: As China Threatens War, Nearly Everyone in Taiwan Wants Peace: Poll. John Feng. Newsweek. 28 October 2020. 3 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201028145528/https://www.newsweek.com/china-war-taiwan-peace-poll-1542735. 28 October 2020. live.
  66. News: Apple Daily . zh:台媒問「解放軍是否計劃拿下東沙島」 國台辦窘答：不回答假設性問題. zh-tw. 29 October 2020. 3 November 2020. Apple Daily (Taiwan). https://web.archive.org/web/20201103231210/https://tw.appledaily.com/international/20201029/HTBZULLMBBFQRGCYCSOQT5XHXE/. 3 November 2020. live .
  67. News: https://www.hk01.com/即時中國/541432/解放軍被指計劃拿下東沙島-國台辦-堅決維護國家主權和領土完整. zh:解放軍被指計劃拿下東沙島 國台辦：堅決維護國家主權和領土完整. 28 October 2020. 3 November 2020. HK01. zh-hant. https://web.archive.org/web/20201104010445/https://www.hk01.com/即時中國/541432/解放軍被指計劃拿下東沙島-國台辦-堅決維護國家主權和領土完整. 4 November 2020. live.
  68. News: 8 Chinese fighter jets, spy planes intrude into Taiwan's ADIZ on Monday. Keoni Everington. Taiwan News. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102130830/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4043619. 2 November 2020. live.
  69. News: Chinese anti-submarine plane enters Taiwan's ADIZ. 3 November 2020. 3 November 2020. Focus Taiwan. Matt Yu . Emerson Lim . https://web.archive.org/web/20201103141556/https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202011030021. 3 November 2020. live.
  70. Web site: Taiwan's defense chief links Beijing's incursions to ADIZ plan. 4 November 2020. 4 November 2020. Focus Taiwan. Matt Yu . Emerson Lim . https://web.archive.org/web/20201104131833/https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202011040021. 4 November 2020. live.
  71. Web site: Chinese anti-submarine plane enters Taiwan's ADIZ. 6 December 2020. 8 December 2020. Focus Taiwan. Emerson Lim . Matt Yu . https://web.archive.org/web/20201208111852/https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202012060015. 8 December 2020. live.
  72. Web site: Kaohsiung mayor may visit Dongsha Islands to assert Taiwan's sovereignty. 18 May 2020. 3 August 2020. Taiwan News. Huang Tzu-ti. Located 444 kilometers from Kaohsiung City, the Dongsha, or Pratas, Islands, consist of one island, two coral reefs, and two banks. The islands are administered by Kaohsiung's Cijin District, and Coast Guard personnel are stationed there.

    Former Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) made a visit to the Dongsha Islands in May of 1999 for the same purpose, when he hung an address plate on the island’s fishing service station. Chen Chu (陳菊), his successor, never visited the islands during her 12-year stint..
  73. Web site: https://www.marine.gov.tw/filesys/image/01_chinese/news/20160713/2016070505_nEO_IMG.jpg. zh:東沙環礁國家公園簡. Dongsha Atoll National Park - Introduction. https://web.archive.org/web/20201001120600/https://www.marine.gov.tw/filesys/image/01_chinese/news/20160713/2016070505_nEO_IMG.jpg. 1 October 2020. live. Marine National Park Headquarters (海洋國家公園管理處). zh-tw,en. 東沙環礁位於南海北部海域，東北距高雄450公里，西北距香港320公里，西南距海南島榆林670公里，南距南沙太平島1,190公里，東南離馬尼拉780公里；行政區域隸屬高雄市旗津區。Dongsha Atoll located in the northern South China Sea is 450 km southwest of Kaohsiung, 320 km southeast of Hong Kong, 670 km northeast of [''[[:zh:榆林港|Yulin]] on] Hainan Island, 1,190 km north of Taiping Island, [''and''] 780 km northwest of Manila. Administratively, it is under the Cijin District of Kaohsiung..
  74. Book: 夏征农. 陈至立. zh:辞海：第六版彩图本 . Cihai (Sixth Edition in Color) . September 2009. 上海. Shanghai. 上海辞书出版社. Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House.. 9787532628599. zh. 0487.
  75. Liu. Shang Yin Vanson. Green. Jacob. Briggs. Dana. Hastings. Ruth. Jondelius. Ylva. Kensinger. Skylar. Leever. Hannah. Santos. Sophia. Throne. Trevor. Cheng. Chi. Madduppa. Hawis. 2021-08-31. Dongsha Atoll is an important stepping-stone that promotes regional genetic connectivity in the South China Sea. PeerJ. en. 9. e12063. 10.7717/peerj.12063. 2167-8359. 8415289. 34540369 . free .
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  77. Web site: Dual and multiple naming in the South China Sea: The cases of the Pratas Islands and Scarborough Shoal. https://web.archive.org/web/20201103001338/http://eastsea1994.org/data/bbsData/15631801881.pdf. 3 November 2020. live. 2 November 2020. Peter Kang. 113. The Society for East Sea.
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  79. News: Research in the Pratas promoted. Taipei Times. Chiu Yu-Tzu. 8 November 2004. 2 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20041208060539/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/11/08/2003210169. 8 December 2004. live.
  80. Web site: China's New Pressure on Taiwan in the South China Sea. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116173457/https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/11/chinas-new-pressure-on-taiwan-in-the-south-china-sea/. 16 November 2020. live. Felix K. Chang. Foreign Policy Research Institute. 16 November 2020. 21 November 2020.
  81. Web site: Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council can order counterattack in South China Sea. https://web.archive.org/web/20201203134301/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4068699. 3 December 2020. 3 December 2020. Matthew Strong. Taiwan News.
  82. Web site: Law on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of 25 February 1992. United Nations. The PRC's territorial land includes the mainland and its offshore islands, Taiwan and the various affiliated islands including Diaoyu Island, Penghu Islands, Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Nansha (Spratly) Islands and other islands that belong to the People's Republic of China. https://web.archive.org/web/20040718131426/https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/CHN_1992_Law.pdf. 18 July 2004. live.
  83. Web site: SOUTH CHINA SEA: UP FOR GRABS. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170123072513/https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP08C01297R000300180018-3.pdf. 23 January 2017. 14 September 1971. Bureau of Intelligence and Research. p.10: "Pratas Reef (Tung-sha Ch'un-tao)The PRC lays claim to the reef by virtue of its assertion that it is the only China."
  84. Web site: http://smzt.gd.gov.cn/qhgk/gsqh/200505/sws/. https://web.archive.org/web/20201103005408/http://smzt.gd.gov.cn/qhgk/gsqh/200505/sws/. 3 November 2020. live. zh:汕尾市. zh-hans. 广东省民政厅网站. May 2005. 城区（东沙群岛不是镇建制）.
  85. http://nr.gd.gov.cn/attachment/0/328/328278/2265301.jpg. https://web.archive.org/web/20200707201843/http://nr.gd.gov.cn/attachment/0/328/328278/2265301.jpg. 7 July 2020. 30 June 2018. zh-hans. zh:城区地图. Department of Natural Resources of Guangdong Province Chinese: 广东省自然资源厅. Chinese: 广东省国土资源厅. Internet Archive. Chinese: 东沙群岛{....
  86. Web site: Beijing's plans for South China Sea air defence identification zone cover Pratas, Paracel and Spratly islands, PLA source says. https://web.archive.org/web/20200628021549/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3086679/beijings-plans-south-china-sea-air-defence-identification-zone. 28 June 2020. live. South China Morning Post. 31 May 2020. Minnie Chan.
  87. Web site: Is China Preparing to Set Up an ADIZ in the South China Sea With Taiwan in Mind?. 13 November 2020. 13 November 2020. The Diplomat. Lu Li-shih. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114024115/https://thediplomat.com/2020/11/is-china-preparing-to-set-up-an-adiz-in-the-south-china-sea-with-taiwan-in-mind/. 14 November 2020.
  88. Web site: India opposes China's move to set up Air Defence Identification Zone on South China Sea. 14 November 2020. 14 November 2020. Deccan Herald. Anirban Bhaumik. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114230717/https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-opposes-chinas-move-to-set-up-air-defence-identification-zone-on-south-china-sea-915649.html. 14 November 2020. live. Without mentioning China, he expressed India’s concern over the nation's aggressive moves in the region, including building military infrastructures in the disputed waters, and purported plan to create an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) covering the disputed Pratas, Paracel and Spratly Islands..
  89. Web site: The Pratas Islands: A New Flashpoint in the South China Sea. December 10, 2020. 14 December 2020. The Diplomat. Yoshiyuki Ogasawara. https://web.archive.org/web/20201210115855/https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/the-pratas-islands-a-new-flashpoint-in-the-south-china-sea/. 10 December 2020. live.
  90. Web site: BQ9P, BV9P Pratas Island: Club Log support staffed by volunteers. clublog.freshdesk.com.
  91. From Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University's "Discovering the South China Sea" article. Web site: Pratas Island . 2013-03-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130313174059/http://vm.nthu.edu.tw/southsea/english.travel3_3.htm . 2013-03-13 .
  92. http://dongsha.mr.nsysu.edu.tw Dongsha Atoll Research Station
  93. Web site: Taiwan activates solar energy system on Dongsha Island | Society | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS. focustaiwan.tw. 17 March 2016 .
  94. Web site: Taiwan releases records to rebut HK's claim it abandoned its flight plan. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102185325/https://www.ocac.gov.tw/OCAC/Eng/Pages/Detail.aspx?nodeid=329&pid=19997186. 2 November 2020. live. 17 October 2020. 2 November 2020. Overseas Community Affairs Council. The Dongsha Islands, administered by Taiwan but also claimed by China, are located about 310 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong and are within its Flight Information Region (FIR)..
  95. Web site: Hong Kong Airspace Introductory Guide. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102190357/https://vatsim.hk/Uploads/HKVACC-SOP051-R1.pdf. 2 November 2020. live. 9, 11, 12. Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network. (Note: In the maps (Figures 7.1, 8.1 & 8.2), the VHR7 circle is within the Hong Kong FIR.)

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