‘Hybrid warfare’: Taiwan drives away 16 Chinese ships

What the report says

Taiwan’s coastguard said it drove away 16 Chinese coastguard, research and fishing vessels in coordinated operations around Taiwan’s main island and Pratas, also known as Dongsha. According to Al Jazeera’s report, Taipei described the activity as a form of “maritime harassment” and said the ships were part of a larger pattern of pressure aimed at changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

The vessels were reported to include four fishing boats, and Taiwan said some entered restricted waters. The coastguard said it responded with forceful action to neutralize what it called the threat. The report said the Chinese activity was unusually large in scale and was treated by Taiwanese authorities as a coordinated move rather than isolated incidents.

The article places the confrontation in the context of rising maritime pressure from Beijing. China claims Taiwan and Pratas as part of its territory and rejects Taipei’s jurisdiction, while Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claim. Al Jazeera also noted a separate incident on October 1, when Taiwan used water cannon against a Chinese fishing vessel near Pratas.

The report said Chinese vessels have appeared in greater numbers around Taiwan in recent months, including a record surge in July and more detections in early August, underscoring why Taiwanese officials see these patrols and incursions as part of a broader security challenge.