Taiwan has accused Beijing of waging cognitive warfare by asserting maritime jurisdiction around the island after a Chinese coast guard vessel entered restricted waters near the Pratas Islands on Oct. 31 and other Chinese ships conducted patrols east of Taiwan.
The operations coincided with increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan. The island’s Defense Ministry reported on Nov. 1 that it had detected 32 Chinese military aircraft sorties, seven naval vessels, and two Chinese government ships during the preceding 24 hours.
Of the 32 aircraft sorties, 26 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zones. Taiwan said it deployed aircraft, ships, and coastal missile systems to monitor and respond.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration accused Beijing of using purported law-enforcement operations and radio broadcasts to create the false appearance of Chinese authority over surrounding waters. The agency described the activities as an attempt to expand maritime jurisdiction through harassment and cognitive warfare.
Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, although the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the self-ruled island. Chinese authorities have not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control.
Chinese Vessel Confronted Near Pratas
Taiwan’s coast guard said it detected Chinese coast guard vessel CCG 3102 northwest of the Pratas Islands, also known as Dongsha, early on Oct. 31. The vessel was not transmitting its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal. AIS allows ships to broadcast their identity and location.
The agency dispatched its Hsun Hu No. 7 patrol vessel to intercept the Chinese ship.
At approximately 4 p.m., CCG 3102 entered restricted waters west of Pratas Island. The Taiwanese patrol vessel moved to intercept and shadow it, with the two ships coming within one nautical mile—about 1.15 miles—of each other.
A map released by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on Nov. 1, 2026, depicts Chinese military aircraft activity around Taiwan during the preceding 24 hours. (Courtesy of Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)
The Chinese crew broadcast that it was conducting a law-enforcement patrol and that the area was under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China.
The Taiwanese crew rejected those assertions, declaring that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China were not subordinate to one another and ordering the Chinese vessel to leave.
The coast guard said the confrontation was ongoing when it issued its statement.
The Pratas Islands, in the northern South China Sea hundreds of miles southwest of Taiwan’s main island, are administered by Taiwan but claimed by Beijing.
Taiwan’s coast guard said it had conducted 13 operations involving 16 Chinese coast guard vessel transits in Pratas waters this year.
The same Chinese ship, CCG 3102, had entered restricted waters near Pratas on Oct. 20, also without transmitting its AIS signal. During that confrontation, the Chinese crew asserted over the radio that the Republic of China did not exist, according to Taiwan’s coast guard.
Taiwan Challenges Chinese Coast Guard Patrols East of Island
In another operation on Oct. 31, China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue announced that a formation led by the Hushi vessel was conducting what Beijing described as routine law-enforcement patrols east of Taiwan.
Jiang said the formation had increased its activities in those waters during October and would continue patrols to enforce Beijing’s territorial and maritime claims.
The Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration identified two vessels involved in the operation—CCG 1308 Hushi and CCG 2303 Meishan—and said it had dispatched its Ji'an patrol vessel and other ships to monitor them.
The agency accused Beijing of spreading false information by describing Taiwan as a Chinese island and claiming law-enforcement authority in waters east of Taiwan. It also accused the Chinese coast guard of attempting to harass passing vessels through radio communications.
A crew member aboard Taiwan’s Hsun Hu No. 7 patrol vessel monitors a Chinese coast guard ship that entered restricted waters near the Pratas Islands on Oct. 31, 2026. (Courtesy of Taiwan Coast Guard Administration)
Taiwan’s coast guard said the island has sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its eastern exclusive economic zone and rejected China’s assertion of enforcement authority there.
The United States has also criticized Beijing’s recent maritime activities east of Taiwan. In an Oct. 12 statement provided to The Epoch Times, a State Department spokesman described China’s actions as “deeply destabilizing.”
“By asserting authorities around maritime areas that Taiwan has peacefully administered for over 70 years, China only exacerbates tensions and undermines the peaceful resolution of issues that it claims to seek,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman urged Beijing to cease its pressure on Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected authorities.
Incursions Near Kinmen
The Oct. 31 confrontations followed two Chinese coast guard incursions into restricted waters around Kinmen, a Taiwan-controlled island group near mainland China’s southeastern coast, the previous day.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said four Chinese coast guard vessels—CCG 14608, CCG 14531, CCG 14607, and CCG 14529—approached Kinmen’s restricted waters in two operations beginning around 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, on Oct. 30.
Taiwanese patrol boats monitored the Chinese vessels individually despite rough seas, repeatedly ordering them in Chinese and English to leave.
During the encounters, Chinese crews broadcast political messages over the radio, declaring that Taiwan’s return to Chinese rule and the unification of the two sides were historic objectives, according to Taiwan’s coast guard.
Taiwanese crews responded that Taiwan and China were not subordinate to one another and demanded an end to the harassment.
The Coast Guard Administration said the Chinese vessels departed the restricted waters at 11:03 a.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.
Yuan Shigang contributed to this report.
