China's covert maritime tactics deepen Taiwan's security worries

Taipei [Taiwan], October 30 : Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has revealed that Chinese vessels are using at least eight covert tactics to enter restricted maritime zones near Kinmen County, further complicating Taiwan's ability to monitor its territorial waters, these repeated incursions have become an alarming feature of China's escalating maritime pressure campaign against Taiwan, as reported by The Taipei Times.

According to The Taipei Times, speaking before the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committee, NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said that a recently captured image showed seven to eight commercial Chinese vessels sailing into restricted areas near Kinmen. He noted that some ships had disabled their automatic identification systems (AIS), making them impossible to trace. The observation adds to growing concerns over Beijing's use of non-military assets for grey-zone operations.

KMT Legislator Chen Yeong-kang questioned whether these vessels were fishing boats commissioned by Beijing or disguised China Coast Guard ships conducting intelligence-gathering missions. He argued that such intrusions should not be dismissed as minor provocations but instead be treated as direct challenges to Taiwan's sovereignty.

Tsai said intelligence has identified eight to nine different methods employed by Chinese ships, including switching off AIS systems, forging vessel identities, and using fake maritime mobile service numbers. These practices, he admitted, have made surveillance "significantly more complex." In response, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has begun deploying more patrols and approved a NT$20 billion (US$653 million) plan to strengthen its naval capacity and improve intelligence-sharing systems, as cited by The Taipei Times.

Meanwhile, Chen warned that the upcoming completion of China's Xiamen Xiangan International Airport could be exploited to expand Beijing's air jurisdiction over parts of Kinmen under the guise of civil aviation management. He urged Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence, Mainland Affairs Council, and CGA to remain alert. Analysts state China's tactics reflect a broader pattern of maritime coercion and hybrid warfare, aimed at testing Taiwan's response capabilities while gradually undermining its control over its own waters, as reported by The Taipei Times.

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