South China sea: Taiwan Shoots Down Chinese Ships and Sand Dregers and Seized Captain. Video shows Taiwan Coast Guard blasting Chinese sand dredger with water cannon. Taiwan Coast Guard drives away Chinese sand dredgers from Matsu with massive water cannon. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Tuesday posted a video of one of its vessels blasting a Chinese sand-dredging vessel with a water cannon. As Chinese ships continue to pillage sand from the seabed around Taiwan's outer islands, the CGA recently adopted the new tactic of attempting to drive the offending vessels away with water cannons. On its Facebook page on Tuesday, the CGA announced that a few days ago, its radar systems detected five sand barges and two sand-dredging ships within the 6-kilometer restricted zone around Matsu Island. The CGA stated that it was able to drive many of the Chinese ships away, with the exception of the sand-dredging ship. A patrol boat from the Matsu branch of the CGA then used a powerful water cannon to "spray it out of the boundary line." In the video, a CGA patrol boat can be seen pouring water on a Chinese dredger as sirens blare and the captain admonishes the ship's skipper to exit Taiwanese territorial waters immediately, warning that "it will continue to use the water cannon to enforce the mandatory distance." The patrol boat identifies itself as PP10037 and announces "This is the first broadcast. You have already entered restricted territorial waters. You cannot remain in these waters, much less anchor. Please leave immediately." Next, the video cuts to the 2,000-ton Xinbei (CG127), which has been dispatched to the "front lines" and waters around Matsu. According to the CGA, during the Xinbei's first day in action on Tuesday, it was already leading the team in driving out two Chinese fishing boats and two cargo ships. clearing Matsu's waters of illegal vessels. The CGA stated that in Matsu alone, it has already impounded six sand-dredging vessels over the past year and collected NT$149.8 million through auctions and fines for the national treasury. The CGA pledged to intensify its sweeps of the area next month. The message closed by warning that "If there are any monsters that dare to intrude and steal sand," the CGA will seize them and auction them off. ** China ** ** South china sea** *** South china sea news, *** South china sea dispute, *** South china sea conflict, *** South china sea latest news, *** South china sea today, *** South china sea tension, *** US navy in south china sea, *** South china, *** US military, *** US warship in south china sea, *** The south china sea, *** South china sea islands, *** China sea, *** US vs china, *** China vs taiwan, *** China military, *** South china sea 2020, *** China navy, *** US sends drone, *** us navy, *** Taiwan, *** warship in south china sea, ***South china, *** China military, *** South china sea news today, *** Beijing, *** US deploys thousands, *** US help Taiwan, *** Military