Taiwan’s Coast Guard said China’s Coast Guard is harassing shipping with its latest patrol off Taiwan’s east coast, according to The Hindu. Taiwan sent its own ships to monitor the activity, which followed a Chinese announcement on October 31, 2026.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard said two Chinese ships were involved in the patrol and that it had sent its own ships to keep watch. It said China was trying to exert what it called a fictional jurisdiction over the area.
The agency said China’s attempts to harass ships through radio communications were a clear expansion of power that violate international law. It said it holds sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone east of Taiwan, and that China has no jurisdiction over Taiwan’s waters.
Chinese state media broadcast video of a Chinese ship transmitting a radio message saying it was carrying out law enforcement and offering help if needed. The message was not said to be aimed at any particular vessel, and the footage showed an unidentified fishing trawler.
On the same day, China also sent another Coast Guard ship close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, according to Taiwan’s Coast Guard. The agency said it has so far this year expelled Chinese Coast Guard vessels from Pratas waters 13 times.
Taiwan officials believe China has stepped up activity off the east coast since June, with regular coast guard patrols. They believe China is practising for a potential maritime blockade using overlapping military, paramilitary and civilian assets.
Taipei regards the area off its east coast as critical to wartime supply routes from allies in the event of a blockade or conflict. China recognises no claims of sovereignty by Taiwan, and views Taiwan as its own territory.
The Pratas Islands have no permanent civilian population and lie roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong. They are more than 400 km from Taiwan, which security experts see as making them vulnerable to Chinese attack.
The sources do not report a response from the Chinese government or China Coast Guard to the harassment allegation, beyond the state media broadcast.
The key facts rely on The Hindu. Japan Times was available only as a headline and short excerpt, so no second full account confirms the details. No independent confirmation of the expulsion count or of harassment incidents was found, and it is not reported whether any ships were affected or delayed.
Taiwan says Chinese patrols off its east coast have been regular since June and that it is monitoring them. Further patrols or Taiwanese responses are not reported in the sources.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.