Taiwan Drives Off 16 Chinese Ships in 'Hybrid Warfare' — SkimNews
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- Taiwan's coastguard confronted and drove away 16 Chinese coastguard, research, and fishing vessels — including four fishing boats — operating in simultaneous "maritime harassment" around the main island and disputed Pratas (Dongsha).
- Taipei labeled the coordinated operation "hybrid warfare" and accused Beijing of attempting to "unilaterally alter the status quo" and project a "false impression of jurisdiction" in the Taiwan Strait.
- Some of the Chinese ships entered restricted waters, prompting Taiwan's coastguard to take "forceful action" to "neutralise the threats," according to its Sunday statement.
- China's maritime presence around Taiwan's main island hit a record 244 coastguard, research, and other ships in July — up from just 58 in the same month the previous year, per Taiwanese official data.
- In the first 21 days of August alone, 152 vessels were detected, most from the Chinese Coastguard but also including fishing boats and research vessels; warships deploy near-daily on a separate count.
- On October 1, Taiwan's coastguard fired water cannon at a Chinese recreational fishing vessel near Pratas island, which Beijing claims.
Why it matters: China's maritime footprint around Taiwan quadrupled year-over-year — from 58 to a record 244 vessels in July — turning occasional incursions into a sustained, multi-platform pressure campaign. With coastguard, fishing, and research ships now arriving in coordinated batches alongside near-daily warship patrols, Beijing normalizes paramilitary and civilian presence in disputed waters while Taipei's coastguard absorbs a constantly rising operational burden.
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