Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Wellington Koo, said on Monday that the Chinese mainland’s coast guard patrols in waters east of Taiwan constitute a “provocative act,” and Taiwan’s military will closely coordinate with the Coast Guard Administration in response.
On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Transport organized a special maritime law enforcement operation in the eastern waters of Taiwan, claiming this was a necessary action in response to Japan and the Philippines' maritime boundary negotiations, which China says “seriously violate China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.” On Sunday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration reported that it had dispatched seven vessels to drive away mainland official ships.
On Monday in the Legislative Yuan, Koo stated that the mainland’s coast guard patrols are provocative acts and constitute “cognitive warfare.” He said the mainland seeks to first claim the eastern waters as its own, as if casting a giant spider web in the area, calling it a serious encroachment on “Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
Koo said that the military will maintain coordination with the Coast Guard Administration, conduct close and continuous intelligence sharing, and take action at any time in accordance with relevant resource agreements to safeguard “Taiwan’s sovereignty” and maritime safety.