Taiwan accuses China's coast guard of harassing ships off east coast, sends vessels to monitor

Taiwan's Coast Guard said on Saturday that Chinese coast guard vessels had harassed shipping during a patrol off the island's east coast, and that it had deployed its own ships to monitor the activity. Beijing has described the operation as law enforcement.

The patrol is the latest in a series of Chinese coast guard deployments off Taiwan's east coast since June. Taiwan rejects Beijing's claim that the island is Chinese territory, and its officials say the patrols are an attempt to assert jurisdiction over waters they say China has no right to police.

Taiwanese officials say they believe China is rehearsing for a possible maritime blockade, drawing on a mix of naval, paramilitary and civilian vessels. Taipei regards the waters off its east coast as critical to supply routes from allies in the event of a blockade or conflict.

Responding late on Saturday to China's announcement of the patrol, Taiwan's Coast Guard said two Chinese ships were involved and that it had sent its own forces to keep watch on them.

Chinese state media broadcast video of one of the vessels transmitting a radio message stating that it was carrying out law enforcement and offering help if any was needed. The report did not say which ships the message was directed at, but showed footage of an unidentified fishing trawler.

Taiwan's Coast Guard said in a statement that China's "attempts to harass ships at sea through radio communications are a clear expansion of power that violate international law, undermine regional peace and stability, and deviate from reality".

"Our country holds sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone east of Taiwan, and China has absolutely no jurisdiction over any of Taiwan's waters," it added.

Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China and does not recognise any Taiwanese claim to sovereignty. It has not responded directly to the latest statement from Taipei.

Separately, Taiwan's Coast Guard said another Chinese coast guard ship was sent close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands on Saturday. The islands, which have no permanent civilian population, lie roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, at the northern end of the South China Sea.

Taiwan says it has driven Chinese coast guard vessels out of waters around Pratas 13 times so far this year. Security analysts describe the islands as exposed because of their distance from Taiwan — more than 400 km (250 miles).

China has stepped up military and coast guard activity around Taiwan in recent years. Taipei has repeatedly accused Beijing of using "grey zone" tactics — actions that stop short of open conflict — to pressure the island, while Beijing says its patrols are routine and lawful.

Maritime traffic through the region carries a large share of regional trade, and shipping bodies have previously urged caution in waters where patrols by competing authorities overlap. Neither side reported any collision or injury during Saturday's patrol.