China blends militia fishing boats with coast guard ships to boost maritime pressure around Taiwan

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration confirmed that a Chinese militia fishing vessel, Minfudingyu 07902, was observed on Aug. 16 operating together with a Chinese coast guard ship and a research vessel off the island’s Pacific coast, approaching roughly 2.7 nautical miles from Taiwan’s restricted zone. The CGA says the joint deployment is part of a broader pattern of “gray-zone” tactics that blend law-enforcement, scientific and civilian cover to expand Beijing’s influence while staying below the threshold of open conflict, and that such actions have intensified since June in waters that overlap the exclusive economic zones of Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.

The agency warns the operations increase the surveillance and response burden on the three states and could heighten regional security pressure, undermining the existing maritime order. Chinese authorities claim the activities are legitimate and lawful, a stance rejected by Taipei. The CGA placed the vessel on a priority watchlist and will continue monitoring. The incident follows recent maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines and underscores growing tensions in the western Pacific.