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Taiwan has reported a sharp increase in the presence of Chinese coast guard and research vessels around the island, prompting authorities to prepare drills simulating possible Chinese escalations off Taiwan's Pacific coast, Taipei Times reported.
According to Taipei Times, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) recorded 55 Chinese government vessel sightings in June, including coast guard and research ships, compared with 30 sightings in May and 25 during the same period last year. The figures exclude vessels operating near Taiwan-controlled islands close to the Chinese mainland. The increase, reported by Taipei Times, highlights Beijing's growing use of its coast guard to reinforce its territorial claims over Taiwan. While the Chinese military maintains an almost daily presence around the island, Taiwanese officials say China is increasingly relying on coast guard operations as part of what Taipei describes as "lawfare" -- using legal and administrative measures to strengthen its claims. Speaking to Taipei Times on condition of anonymity, a senior CGA official said Taiwan is preparing for the possibility that China could attempt to disrupt or blockade the island's Pacific supply routes in the event of a future conflict. The official said Taiwan has conducted both tabletop exercises and live drills with its navy to safeguard critical maritime lifelines. The report also said that Taiwanese officials believe several Chinese coast guard vessels have been converted from former naval destroyers and repainted for coast guard operations, giving them greater endurance and military capability than conventional law enforcement ships. Officials added that Chinese vessels frequently operate in pairs just outside Taiwan's economic waters in the Pacific, stretching the capacity of Taiwan's coast guard. According to Taipei Times, Taiwanese authorities also accused Chinese coast guard vessels of broadcasting radio messages to commercial ships requesting port entry and exit information in an apparent attempt to pressure merchant traffic. Taiwan has instructed vessels to ignore such communications and continue normal navigation. A senior Taiwanese official told Taipei Times that Beijing's actions are aimed at altering the regional status quo despite having no legal jurisdiction in the area, describing the campaign as an effort to create new facts on the ground through sustained maritime pressure. (ANI)
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