Taiwan’s coastguard says it wards off 16 mainland Chinese vessels that entered Taiwan’s self-defined restricted waters in a coordinated operation on Sunday. The Taiwanese coastguard described the ships as a mix of 12 coastguard and research vessels plus four fishing boats, operating simultaneously around the main island and the Pratas (Dongsha) islands.
Taiwan says the activity amounts to “maritime harassment,” and officials characterize the number of ships as unusually large. Multiple outlets report the operation involved areas east of Hualien, south of Pingtung, southwest of Kaohsiung, and around the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha/Dongsha islands. Analysts cited by one outlet suggest the scale and coordinated nature may reflect a shift in Beijing’s maritime pressure tactics. The reports focus on Taiwan’s account of events and its categorization of the vessels’ presence and movements, without providing an equivalent response from Beijing.
