China's expanding maritime patrols east of Taiwan alarm Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines

In a recent interview, Kyushu University scholar Chisako Masuo highlighted that China's expanding maritime law-enforcement patrols east of Taiwan are a shared concern for Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines. She pointed out limited cooperation between Japan and Taiwan and a waning Japanese alarm over a possible invasion, partly due to recent changes in CCP leadership. Masuo warned that China's patrols will become more sophisticated and will not disappear, noting the overlap of Japan's and the Philippines' exclusive economic zones in the area.

She described Beijing's reliance on "gray-zone" tactics, bolstered by reforms in fisheries, ports and maritime militia, aimed at reshaping the regional order away from a US-centric system. Masuo stressed that the Taiwan issue could become a flashpoint for a broader US-China conflict and that the Japan-US alliance remains vital for Taiwan's security.