China Coast Guard Begins New East Taiwan Patrol Despite Global Opposition

On 4 July 2026, China’s Coast Guard announced a new law‑enforcement patrol east of Taiwan, deploying vessels including the “Xiu‑Shan” and “Chong‑Ming” ships. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council called the move illegal, a violation of international law and a destabilising expansion of power.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard tracked two Chinese ships about 54 nautical miles east of Hualien, positioned its own vessels alongside them and said it would use “all necessary measures” to expel vessels that harass its waters. This is the second such patrol in roughly a month.

Beijing says the patrol is a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. It follows earlier June operations that coincided with Japan‑Philippines talks on maritime boundaries, which China opposes.

The activity has drawn criticism from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and other democracies, which say it threatens regional stability, freedom of navigation and the safety of international shipping.

Analysts note the expanded use of coast‑guard and civilian survey ships signals a “grey‑zone” strategy aimed at gathering seabed data for future submarine and anti‑submarine operations while applying political pressure on Taiwan.