China Conducts Maritime Operation East of Taiwan Over Boundary Talks

The Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China led a "special maritime traffic law enforcement operation" from June 6 to June 10, 2026, in waters east of Taiwan. Beijing initiated the mission as a response to a May 28 summit in Tokyo where Japan and the Philippines announced formal talks to delimit their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves in the region. China denounced these talks as illegal violations of UNCLOS, asserting that any such negotiations must include Beijing as a party.

The operation involved maritime police from Fujian and Guangdong provinces, covering 1,030 nautical miles and inspecting 198 vessels. During the mission, Chinese ships engaged in several confrontations with Taiwanese forces. Near the Pratas Islands, the China Coast Guard and a marine survey vessel conducted a first-observed coordinated provocation. On June 7, Taiwan expelled four Chinese government ships from restricted waters southwest of its southern tip after a tense standoff.

Taiwan's government condemned the operation as a "gray-zone" pressure campaign and cognitive warfare. Officials reported that Chinese vessels harassed commercial shipping by demanding origin and destination data. While the United States Department of State urged Beijing to cease military and diplomatic pressure against Taiwan, Japanese officials stated that any resulting boundary agreement between Japan and the Philippines would not be legally binding on third parties.