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By Micah McCartney
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Taiwan says it drove away Chinese coast guard ships that sailed in Taipei-controlled waters, amid continuing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
In recent days, the same four Chinese vessels have entered Kinmen's restricted waters repeatedly over three consecutive days, in what officials described as a campaign aimed at changing the status quo.
Why It Matters
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, though the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing has never governed the island. Beijing has repeatedly vowed to bring the island democracy under its control—by force if necessary.
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Beijing has increased its patrols around the Kinmen, a Taiwanese county that hosts a major military presence and sits just off China's southeast coast, since a February 2024 accident that saw Chinese fishermen drowned near Kinmen while being pursued by Taiwan's coast guard.
Analysts have said these operations are aimed at incrementally normalizing China's presence in the area.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
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What To Know
On Monday at approximately 2 p.m., a Chinese vessel was detected running dark, with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) turned off, near Kinmen, according to a report by Taiwan's coast guard.
An hour later, four Chinese ships entered what Taiwan considers restricted waters south of Kinmen's Lieyu island, prompting Taipei to deploy four of its own coast guard vessels to intercept and monitor the intruders.
The Taiwan side issued English and Chinese-language radio broadcasts demanding the ships depart those water, s while positioning themselves to prevent the Chinese counterparts from further penetrating, the statement said.
The Taiwan side issued English and Chinese-language radio broadcasts demanding the Chinese ships leave the area, while positioning their own vessels to block further advances, according to an official statement.
All four Chinese vessels had reportedly departed by 5 p.m.
According to the Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Coast Guard branch of Taiwan's coast guard, the same four Chinese coast guard ships returned the following morning and again on Wednesday, conducting repeated incursions using different directions and formations each time.
Taiwan said it responded by rapidly deploying patrol vessels and intercepting the Chinese ships, which were eventually pushed out of the restricted zone on each occasion.
What Happens Next
"The Chinese coast guard continues to use gray zone tactics to harass Taiwan, and also conducts cognitive warfare through disinformation," the agency said, pledging to continue "every effort to safeguard national sovereignty and ensure national security."
"Gray zone" is a term used to describe coercive actions that seek to alter the status quo while stopping short of outright warfare.
The Chinese authorities have not yet publicly commented on the encounter.
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