Key facts
- Taiwan and the Philippines are aligning at the coast guard and administrative control level to counter China's maritime pressure.
- The cooperation aims to deny China uncontested control of the maritime gray zone.
- Japan has doubled down on coast guard coordination with the Philippines and Vietnam.
- Taiwan's foreign minister framed recent Chinese moves as an attempt to create a "new normal" of assertive maritime operations.
Taiwan and the Philippines are enhancing maritime cooperation, focusing on intelligence sharing and capacity-building, as both nations experience increased pressure from Chinese vessels. This strategic alignment at the coast guard and administrative level aims to counter Beijing's gray-zone tactics without provoking military escalation.