Taiwan to strengthen Pratas islands' defences as China steps up pressure

Taiwan will strengthen its defences of the Pratas as China steps up its activities around the islands which lie at the top end of the South China Sea, the minister in charge of Taiwan's coastguard said on Thursday.



Lying roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Pratas are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance - more than 400 km (250 miles) - from mainland Taiwan.



The Pratas, an atoll which is also a Taiwanese national park, are only lightly defended by Taiwan, and its coastguard has that responsibility rather than the military. China claims the Pratas, and Taiwan, as its own territory.



Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, said China was gradually expanding the maritime areas in which it carries out "grey zone harassment" - referring to non-combat operations designed to put pressure on Taiwan such as coastguard patrols.