World

Taiwan Coast Guard Accuses China of Harassing Shipping Off East Coast

By Reuters

Taiwan’s Coast Guard said China’s coast guard is harassing shipping with its latest patrol off Taiwan’s east coast and attempting to assert a fictional jurisdiction. The Taiwanese coast guard added it had dispatched its own vessels to monitor the area. China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has increased patrols off the island’s east coast since June, using a mix of military, paramilitary and civilian assets. Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and views the east coast area as vital for wartime supply routes from allies in the event of a blockade or conflict. China has no recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty. In a late‑night statement on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Taiwan’s coast guard said two Chinese ships were involved and that it had sent its own forces to observe. Chinese state media released a video of one of its ships broadcasting a radio message that it was conducting law‑enforcement operations and offering assistance if needed. The broadcast was not directed at a specific vessel, but footage showed an unidentified fishing trawler. Taiwan’s coast guard condemned China’s “attempts to harass ships at sea through radio communications” as a clear expansion of power that violates international law, undermines regional peace and stability, and deviates from reality. It added that Taiwan holds sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone east of the island and that China has no jurisdiction over any of Taiwan’s waters. On the same day, China also sent another coast guard ship close to the Taiwan‑controlled Pratas Islands, which are strategically located at the top of the South China Sea. Taiwan’s coast guard said it has expelled Chinese coast guard vessels from Pratas waters 13 times this year. The Pratas have no permanent civilian population and lie roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong. Security experts view the islands as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance—more than 400 km (250 miles)—from Taiwan.