Taiwan Rejects China's Maritime Jurisdiction Claims After Chinese Coast Guard Patrol Off Eastern Shores

Jun 10, 2026

Taiwan has rejected China's maritime jurisdiction claims after the Chinese coast guard concluded a patrol east of the island, where it inspected 198 vessels. The patrol was a response to planned maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines. Taiwan's coast guard called the action a violation of its sovereignty, while a Chinese official defended it as a 'just act.' The incident follows reports of Chinese harassment of merchant ships.

Chinese coast guard eastern patrol

▪A spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhang Han, defended the patrols as a "just act to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights."
▪The Chinese patrol, which ended on a Wednesday, inspected 198 passing vessels and rectified violations involving three ships.
▪Chinese state media released a map showing arrows encircling Taiwan to illustrate its ships' operations.
▪During the patrol, Chinese ships also conducted a hydrographic survey and patrolled areas with undersea cables.
▪Chinese state media announced on a Saturday that ships were sent to conduct a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation" in waters east of Taiwan.

Japan-Philippines maritime boundary talks

▪China viewed the planned Japan-Philippines maritime boundary talks as involving waters off Taiwan.
▪China's patrol was a response to an announcement that Japan and the Philippines would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries.

Taiwan sovereignty rejection

▪Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan's foreign minister, accused China of "using so-called 'law enforcement' as a pretext to pursue expansion."
▪Taiwan's coast guard vowed to "forcefully drive away" any vessel asserting jurisdiction in its waters to maintain freedom of navigation.
▪Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, stated that China has no right to intervene in matters concerning the waters east of Taiwan.
▪Taiwan's coast guard stated that its maritime sovereignty cannot be "violated" and that China has no jurisdiction in the waters east of Taiwan.

Merchant vessel harassment

▪Taiwan accused the Chinese coast guard of harassing three merchant ships by demanding information about their origin and destination.
▪A Taiwan Coast Guard spokesman confirmed some of the merchant ships responded to the Chinese vessels with information like their next port of call.

Itu Aba island intrusion

▪The Chinese boats remained in the restricted waters near Itu Aba for about 15 minutes, an act Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council called an "escalation of provocations."
▪On a Thursday, Chinese "official" boats intruded into restricted waters near Itu Aba, a Taiwan-controlled island in the South China Sea.

Cross-strait military tensions

▪Taiwan's government maintains that only the island's people can decide their future.
▪China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and does not recognize its sovereignty.
▪Chinese warships and warplanes operate around Taiwan on an almost daily basis.
▪Beijing has rejected offers of dialogue from Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, whom it calls a "separatist."