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China Coast Guard Ships Near Taiwan Signal Military Intentions, Experts Warn

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Chinese coast guard vessels patrolled waters east of Taiwan, prompting expert warnings of military intentions disguised as law enforcement.
  • Experts identified the vessels as former frigates painted white, controlled by the PLA's Eastern Theater Command, suggesting a strategy to normalize military presence and test conflict thresholds.
  • Taiwan is urged to counter these actions as military maneuvers, not law enforcement, and to conduct joint patrols with allies to deter Chinese aggression.

Chinese coast guard ships recently patrolled waters east of Taiwan, a move experts warn is a "gray hull painted white" strategy to mask military ambitions. The vessels, identified as the Haijing 2305 "Xiushan" and Haijing 1401 "Chongming," were seen drifting east of Orchid Island on July 31.

Beijing is extending the "gray hull painted white" tactic to Taiwan's periphery. The Chinese coast guard ships Xiushan and Chongming are actually frigates that retain 76mm naval guns.

— Liao Yan-fuLiao Yan-fu, deputy director of the Atlantic Council's Global China Center, explains the nature of the Chinese coast guard vessels.

Experts like Liao Yan-fu of the Atlantic Council's Global China Center point out that these ships are essentially disguised warships, retaining features like 76mm naval guns. He emphasizes that the coast guard operates under the PLA's Eastern Theater Command and the Central Military Commission, making these "law enforcement" patrols a facade for military operations. Liao argues this tactic signals to Taiwan that its surroundings are under Beijing's jurisdiction and demonstrates the PLA's capability to patrol routes vital for allied intervention in a Taiwan contingency.

To counter this, Liao advises Taiwan to address the actions as military maneuvers rather than routine law enforcement, refusing to legitimize them as "general law enforcement." He also recommends joint patrols with U.S., Japanese, and Philippine coast guard forces within Taiwan's exclusive economic zone to establish a shared allied presence.

This move not only sends a signal to Taiwan that its surroundings are under jurisdiction but also shows the US and Japan that the PLA can routinely patrol routes where allies might intervene in a Taiwan contingency, deliberately testing the conflict threshold.

— Liao Yan-fuLiao Yan-fu describes the strategic implications of the Chinese coast guard patrols.

Lai Hsiao-kang, a scholar at the University of Manitoba, echoed these concerns, viewing the patrols as part of Beijing's "wolf is coming" strategy. He believes this aims to desensitize Taiwan and its allies to Chinese military actions, similar to Soviet tactics during the Cold War. Lai invokes the Roman adage, "If you want peace, prepare for war," urging Taiwan to bolster its defenses against escalating gray-zone tactics.

If you want peace, prepare for war.

— Lai Hsiao-kangLai Hsiao-kang, a scholar at the University of Manitoba, quotes a Roman adage to emphasize the need for preparedness.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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