Taiwan calls Chinese Coast Guard patrols provocative
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- Chinese Coast Guard sent four ships on June 6 to conduct a “special maritime traffic law‑enforcement operation” east of Taiwan, citing Japan‑Philippines delimitation talks.
- Taiwan Coast Guard expelled the Chinese vessels on June 7, warning them away, and reported the four ships left Taiwanese waters early on June 8.
- Wellington Koo called the patrols a “provocative act” and “cognitive warfare,” likening the claim on eastern waters to a spider’s web, and pledged close coordination with the Coast Guard.
- Kuan Bi‑ling wrote on Facebook that since early May China has run a month‑long campaign of “escalating provocations,” including actions near the Pratas Islands and a research ship near Taiwan.
- Liaoning was spotted in the Western Pacific east of the Philippines as part of an extended mission, while Chinese warplanes and warships operate around Taiwan almost daily.
- Taiwan Navy generally only shadows and warns Chinese Navy ships, whereas the Coast Guard monitors Chinese Coast Guard vessels, reflecting Taiwan’s defense posture.
Why it matters: The incident underscores Taiwan’s heightened alertness to Chinese maritime assertiveness, bolstering its defence coordination while signaling to Beijing that Taiwan will not tolerate encroachments, prompting international observers to monitor the escalation and may influence regional security calculations in the Taiwan Strait.
