China Launches New Coast Guard Patrol East of Taiwan, Drawing Protest From Taipei

A Taiwan Coast Guard crew member monitors a Chinese coast guard vessel from the Yilan patrol ship near Pengjia Islet in this handout photo released on December 29, 2025. Photo: AFP / Taiwan Coast Guard China said on Saturday that it had launched a new coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, a move that drew condemnation from Taipei and added to rising tensions over Beijing’s maritime claims around the self-governed island. The China Coast Guard said a task group led by the Xiushan vessel had replaced a previous group led by the Daishan vessel and would continue what Beijing described as routine “law-enforcement patrols” in waters east of Taiwan. It said the operations were intended to protect China’s territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and the safety of fishing and navigation activities. Taiwan rejected the patrol, saying China has no jurisdiction or law-enforcement authority in waters east of the island. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing’s actions amounted to an illegal expansion of power and undermined regional stability. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said it was monitoring two Chinese coast guard ships, identified by local authorities as the Xiushan and Chongming, about 54 nautical miles east of Hualien on Saturday morning. Hualien, on Taiwan’s east coast, is home to a major air base. Taiwan said the Chinese vessels had not entered its restricted waters, but that its own patrol vessels had been positioned to monitor them. Taiwanese authorities said they would take necessary measures if Chinese vessels attempted to interfere with Taiwan’s maritime jurisdiction or harass ships in waters claimed by Taipei. Earlier this week, Taiwan told vessels operating off its east coast not to comply with any boarding or inspection demands from China’s coast guard and to report such incidents to Taiwanese authorities. The latest patrol is the second Chinese coast guard operation east of Taiwan in roughly a month. Beijing launched the earlier operation after Japan and the Philippines announced plans to begin maritime boundary talks, a development China said involved waters over which it claims rights because of its position on Taiwan. China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying the People’s Republic of China has never governed the island and has no legal authority over it or its surrounding waters. China has long sent military aircraft and naval vessels around Taiwan, but its growing use of coast guard patrols has drawn particular concern in Taipei because such operations are presented by Beijing as law enforcement rather than military activity. Taiwanese officials say the tactic is part of an effort to create a legal basis for expanded Chinese control in contested waters. The dispute has also drawn international attention. The United States, Britain, France and Germany have expressed concern over Chinese activities off Taiwan’s east coast, while Beijing has rejected foreign criticism and said its operations are lawful. The Taiwan Strait remains one of the Indo-Pacific’s most sensitive security flashpoints. Any escalation around Taiwan could affect regional trade routes, military planning and relations between China and the United States and its allies. The post China Launches New Coast Guard Patrol East of Taiwan, Drawing Protest From Taipei appeared first on Khaama Press.