Taiwan's defence minister condemns China Coast Guard patrols east of Taiwan as provocation

Taiwan's Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo has described Chinese Coast Guard patrols in waters east of Taiwan as a "provocative act" and an act of cognitive warfare, warning that Beijing is seeking to claim the area as its own enforcement zone.

Koo made the remarks at the Legislative Yuan on Monday, a day after Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said it had expelled four Chinese vessels from restricted waters in the early hours of that morning.

"They are attempting to first claim the eastern waters as their domain, like casting a large spider's web over the area," Koo said. "This is a serious affront to our national sovereignty."

The Chinese ships had entered the area late on Saturday following an announcement by Japan and the Philippines last month that they would begin formal talks on delimiting their shared maritime boundaries, including waters off Taiwan. Delimitation refers to the legal process of establishing the outer limits of a state's maritime jurisdiction.

Chinese state media said the ships had been deployed to carry out a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation" in the waters east of Taiwan, framing the mission as a direct response to the Japan-Philippines announcement.

The CGA dispatched its own vessels to intercept and warn off the Chinese ships. By the early hours of Monday, the four Chinese ships had departed Taiwanese waters heading east, the CGA confirmed.

Koo said the military is now coordinating closely with the CGA through continuous and intensive intelligence sharing. Under Taiwan's existing arrangements, the navy generally shadows and monitors Chinese navy vessels, while the CGA — which would be seconded to the navy in wartime — holds primary responsibility for responding to China Coast Guard ships.

Chinese warplanes and warships already conduct operations in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on an almost daily basis.

Taiwan is additionally monitoring an extended mission by the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning in the Western Pacific. Koo confirmed on Monday that the vessel was sailing east of the Philippines.

China Coast Guard incursions preceded Japan-Philippines announcement

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief executive Chuang Jui-hsiung pointed out on Monday that Chinese Coast Guard vessels had already made repeated incursions into Taiwanese waters as early as last month, prior to any Japan-Philippines tensions.

"The Chinese Communist Party does not need an excuse to exert pressure on Taiwan," Chuang said, calling on ruling and opposition parties alike to fully support government and CGA personnel in their law enforcement and national security responsibilities.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) took a different line, urging the government to adopt a firmer approach in negotiations with Japan and the Philippines, arguing that insufficiently firm positions could hand Beijing a pretext for further action.

Japan-Philippines boundary talks carry no obligations for third parties

In response to media queries on Monday, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association said the maritime boundary agreement being negotiated between Japan and the Philippines applies solely to those two parties and carries no legal obligations for any third country.

The association said Japan views the negotiations as a constructive example of how disputes can be peacefully resolved under international law, consistent with the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific.