One especially combative ship CCG3210, formerly known as Yuzheng 310 has been affecting politics in the South China Sea, for a long time.
The ship is armed with machine guns, light cannons and innovative hardware proficient at jamming communications.
“Built in 2010, CCG3210 escorted a fishing flotilla and stared down the Philippine navy during a dispute over territorial rights. But that was just the beginning,” The National Interest reported.
In March 2013, the Indonesian patrol boat Hiu Macan 001 seized a Chinese fishing vessel in Indonesian territorial waters about 200 kilometers northwest of the Natuna Islands.
During this period the Hiu Macan 001’s captain found out that his satellite communications gear had ceased to function as it was blocked by the Chinese vessel.
The Indonesian patrol boat complied with Chinese demands and returned the crew.
“In March 2016, an Indonesian patrol ship seized the Chinese fishing vessel Kway Fey less than three miles from the Natuna Islands,” the magazine reported.
The crew was arrested and this time a tow was hooked to the ship but the Chinese weren’t going to let their own be captured so easily.
Two Chinese coast guard ships arrived and one of them that looked very much like CCG3210 “rammed” the fishing boat, freeing it from the Indonesian vessel’s clutches.
Beijing has on a number of occasions claimed the waters around the Natuna Islands as part of “a traditional Chinese fishing ground.”
As the tension in the South China Sea rises, CCG3210 will continue to protect the Chinese ships with considerable skill and dedication.
