An international parliamentary delegation joined a Taiwanese coast guard patrol off Kinmen on Wednesday, in what organisers described as the first time foreign lawmakers have accompanied Taiwan's maritime forces on such a mission.
Lawmakers from six countries and two Taiwanese legislators spent 90 minutes aboard the 100-tonne patrol vessel PP-10081, circling Kinmen's northern waters and observing land reclamation for Xiamen's new Xiang'an airport across the strait. Coast Guard Administration officials briefed the group on gray-zone activities by Chinese coast guard vessels, though no Chinese ships were spotted during the patrol, believed to have returned to port ahead of Typhoon Bavi.
IPAC co-founder Luke de Pulford said the visit marked an unprecedented step in drawing international attention to the dispute. British lawmaker Alicia Kearns said countries must stand with Taiwan to protect its territorial integrity, while Ukrainian MP Serhiy Syro framed the patrol through his country's experience, saying peace requires preparing for war.