China Mounts Fresh Campaign To Encircle Taiwan With Patrols
China has deployed on average two Coast Guard cutters per month east of Taiwan since June, after Japan and the Philippines announced plans to define their overlapping maritime border in the region. The patrols covered 27,100 square nautical miles, and ships stayed 30 nautical miles from the island's eastern coast. The operations started on June 1 with the deployment of two large patrol cutters, and later included larger law enforcement ships that questioned foreign commercial ships for the first time.
Why it matters: This escalation in maritime patrols east of Taiwan reflects the theme of great-power competition, as Beijing seeks to establish a persistent presence that could support a future blockade, challenging US and allied access to the Pacific.