China Coast Guard conducts multiple incursions near Kinmen

The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that Chinese coast guard vessels conducted four incursions near the Kinmen archipelago this week. On Friday, four Chinese vessels were detected approaching waters south of the Taiwanese-controlled islands, prompting Taipei to deploy patrol boats to monitor the situation until the vessels left the restricted zone.

The CGA characterized these maneuvers as a “planned harassment operation in the ‘gray zone’,” noting that identical formations were observed over two consecutive days. Authorities stated that Beijing’s actions ignored deteriorating maritime conditions and disrupted normal navigation, increasing operational risks.

These incidents near Kinmen occur alongside a sustained increase in Chinese maritime presence east of Taiwan. Since June, Chinese vessels have maintained a regular patrol in the Pacific waters east of the island, a region previously considered a less active area for Beijing. This expansion of maritime pressure extends the friction between Beijing and Taipei beyond the traditional Taiwan Strait.