Several China Coast Guard (CCG) fleets on Tuesday patrolled waters around Taiwan Island and carried out a series of drills including inspection, interception and detention operations against unwarranted vessels.
The drills came as multiple forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command conducted joint exercises around Taiwan Island on Tuesday, with a spokesperson for the CCG's East China Sea Bureau saying these were as part of concrete actions to exercise legitimate jurisdiction and control over the island in accordance with the one-China principle.
During the drills, CCG flotillas took necessary management measures against unidentified target vessels by giving a warning via high-frequency loudspeakers and imposing sea route control.
Meanwhile, the CCG's Fujian branch, based in east China's Fujian Province situated directly opposite Taiwan Island, organized its vessel formations to conduct comprehensive law enforcement patrols in waters near the islands of Dongyin and Wuqiu.
The drills focused on identification and verification, inspection, and control and expulsion operations against unwarranted vessels, to test the crew's rapid response and emergency handling capabilities.
"For the next step, we will continue to strengthen control over the waters surrounding Taiwan Island in accordance with the one-China principle and the law, remain on high alert at all times, actively respond to various emergencies and complex situations, crack down on any form of illegal and criminal activities, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and safeguard national unity," said Han Donghua, an officer onboard the CCG's vessel 1107 which was participating in the exercises.
China Coast Guard patrols waters around Taiwan Island
The Sudan conflict now in its fourth year has pushed millions into poverty, even forcing some families to rely on animal fodder to survive.
Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023, following months of escalating tensions between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief and head of Sudan's ruling council, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF commander and al-Burhan's former deputy.
Nearly 6.9 million Sudanese were pushed into extreme poverty in 2023 alone, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Currently, around 70 percent of the population are estimated to live in poverty in the country, compared with 38 percent before the war, said UNDP Resident Representative in Sudan Luca Renda.
At the Tawila Camp in North Darfur State, Salha Musa, a displaced widow from El Fasher, is struggling to provide her six children with minimal resources.
Water is available from wells, but other essential services are absent. Inflation and scarcity have forced families to rely on unconventional foods. Everyday staples have disappeared from local markets, leaving vulnerable families at risk of malnutrition.
"Since we arrived in Tawila a month ago, we've been suffering from a severe lack of services, except for water, which we draw from wells. We have no other services here, and we desperately need assistance. Our children aren't receiving an education, and I'm a nurse, but I can't find work," said Salha.
The UNDP warns that Sudan's economy has collapsed under the weight of the ongoing conflict, with GDP falling sharply and more than 13 million people displaced. Extreme poverty rates now surpass those of the 1980s.
"Life is incredibly difficult for us poor people. If we don't have money, what are we supposed to do? Will we starve to death? After the price of corn flour became so high, we stopped buying it. I don't know why they're raising prices or hoarding goods. Flour has completely disappeared from the markets here. After that, flour became expensive and unavailable," said Summia Ahmed, another displaced woman from El Fasher, adding that her family has even started relying on "Ombaz", a kind of animal fodder, as their food.
UNDP projections show that peace could lift millions out of extreme poverty, but delays and continued conflict risk locking the country into decades of low growth and deprivation.
For families like Salha's and Summia's, the road ahead remains uncertain, as conflict continues to dictate daily survival in Sudan.
Sudan conflict pushes millions into poverty
