Taiwan accuses China’s coast guard of harassment in east‑coast patrols

China’s coast guard has intensified harassment of vessels near Taiwan’s east coast, staging a patrol that Taiwan says exceeds any legal claim. The Taiwan Coast Guard reported that two Chinese ships began a patrol on Saturday, Oct 31, 2026, and that it dispatched its own vessels to monitor the activity. Chinese state media released video of one ship broadcasting a radio message that it was conducting law enforcement and offering assistance, though the target of the message was not identified and the footage showed an unnamed fishing trawler. Taiwan’s officials said the radio‑communication tactics represent a clear expansion of power that breaches international law, threatens regional peace and stability, and “deviates from reality.” They reaffirmed that Taiwan holds sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone east of the island and that China has no jurisdiction there. The patrol is part of a broader pattern; China has stepped up coast‑guard activity off Taiwan’s east coast since June, using overlapping military, paramilitary and civilian assets, which Taiwan views as rehearsals for a possible maritime blockade. On the same day, a Chinese coast‑guard vessel moved close to the Taiwan‑controlled Pratas Islands. Taiwan has expelled Chinese coast‑guard ships from Pratas waters 13 times this year. The uninhabited Pratas, located over 400 km (250 miles) from Taiwan, are seen by security experts as vulnerable to attack due to their strategic position in the South China Sea.

Context

The east‑coast area is vital for Taiwan’s wartime supply lines from allies, making any Chinese interference a strategic concern. The Pratas Islands, though without a civilian population, are a flashpoint because of their location between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong.