Taiwan Protests Chinese Maritime Operations in Exclusive Economic Zone

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan has lodged public protests and communicated dissatisfaction to China regarding the presence of Chinese research vessels and the China Coast Guard within Taiwan's Exclusive Economic Zone. Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung stated that because official communication between the two sides has been largely suspended since 2016, Taiwan utilized third-party countries and existing private mechanisms to convey its concerns.

These disputes center on Beijing's "special maritime law-enforcement operations," which include the deployment of the Lanhai 201 research vessel. In response, Taiwan is managing these encounters by attempting to avoid escalation beyond 24 nautical miles from its coast while asserting sovereignty within that limit. The government has instructed commercial and fishing vessels to maintain movement when approached by Chinese ships to prevent boarding attempts.

To address China's numerical superiority in maritime assets, Taiwan plans to increase its reliance on drones and enhance its surveillance capabilities. These measures aim to maintain security and monitoring of the contested waters despite the lack of direct diplomatic channels.