CHINA’S coast guard conducted patrols in waters east of Taiwan on Friday in what Beijing described as routine law enforcement operations, triggering strong objections from Taipei, which accused China of using maritime enforcement activities to expand its influence.
The Chinese Coast Guard said the patrols were led by its vessel Xiushan and would continue as part of efforts to strengthen control over the surrounding waters.
“Since July, the Xiushan task group has been strengthening control over the relevant waters to effectively ensure orderly navigation and activities,” Reuters reported Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue saying.
He said the operations were aimed at safeguarding legitimate rights and interests, as well as protecting the lives and property of fishermen on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration, however, condemned the move, describing it as “fake law enforcement, real expansion of power”.
It said two Chinese coast guard vessels, Xiushan and Chongming, were detected operating near Taiwan’s eastern waters, with one vessel located about 151 nautical miles east of Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island, and another about 43 nautical miles northeast of the island.
Taiwan said it had deployed patrol vessels, including the Taipei, to monitor the Chinese ships and pledged to take “all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty” and protect the security of its waters.
The latest activity has raised concerns among some Western governments, which have warned against unilateral actions that could alter the existing situation or increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite Taipei’s rejection of Beijing’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only Taiwan’s people have the right to determine their future.
Beijing has increased military and coast guard activities around Taiwan in recent months, including operations on the island’s eastern Pacific side — an area Taiwan considers strategically important for potential wartime supply routes from international partners.
China began expanding eastern patrol operations in early June following maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines, prompting concern from countries including Britain, France, Germany and the United States.
The United States’ de facto embassy in Taiwan this week made a rare public disclosure of cooperation between the two sides’ coast guards, releasing a photograph showing a Taiwan Coast Guard vessel sailing alongside the US Coast Guard cutter Midgett at an undisclosed location.
The development comes as regional powers continue to monitor increasing maritime activity around Taiwan amid heightened geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific. - July 31, 2026
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