Key facts
- 16 Chinese vessels entered Taiwan's restricted waters on Sunday.
- The Chinese vessels included 12 coast guard and research ships, and four fishing boats.
- The operation involved simultaneous actions at multiple locations around Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands.
- Taiwan's coast guard condemned the actions as an attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo.
Taiwan's coast guard said on Sunday it had driven away 16 Chinese vessels, including coast guard, research, and fishing boats, that entered the island's self-defined restricted waters. The operation involved simultaneous actions at multiple locations around Taiwan proper and the disputed Dongsha Islands. Taiwan's coast guard stated that the Chinese vessels engaged in "simultaneous operations at multiple locations and engaged in hybrid warfare." Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and asserts jurisdiction over the surrounding waters, which Taipei rejects. China has intensified its maritime pressure on Taiwan in recent months, deploying record numbers of vessels. This incident follows a previous event on October 1 where Taiwan's coast guard used a water cannon against a Chinese fishing vessel near the Dongsha Islands.