Japan and the Philippines have announced the launch of formal negotiations to delimit their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and continental shelf boundaries — a move that has drawn sharp objections from Beijing. China's Coast Guard dispatched the Daishan vessel formation to waters east of Taiwan on June 1, framing the patrol as a direct counter to the Japan-Philippines talks. Analysts note this marks the first time China's Coast Guard has conducted an independent law enforcement patrol in waters east of Taiwan without coordinating with the PLA — a move that effectively treats Taiwan's surrounding waters as Chinese internal seas.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared the Japan-Philippines boundary negotiations "illegal and void," asserting that the relevant waters fall within China's claimed sovereign jurisdiction. Beijing has demanded that both countries immediately halt any actions it considers violations of Chinese sovereign rights and maritime interests.
Japan-Philippines EEZ Talks Trigger Beijing's Assertive Response
China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lüe said the Daishan formation conducted a law enforcement patrol in waters east of Taiwan on June 1. The patrol, Jiang said, was a "necessary response" to Japan and the Philippines unilaterally initiating boundary delimitation talks in those waters — actions Beijing characterizes as serious violations of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
China has urged Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease all actions it considers violations of Chinese sovereign rights and interests. China's Coast Guard has stated it will continue to intensify controls over the relevant waters and take resolute action to uphold national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
During major PLA exercises over the past two years — including Joint Sword-2024A and Strait Thunder-2025A — China's Coast Guard vessels did participate in operations around Taiwan. Those deployments, however, were coordinated elements of joint military drills rather than independent enforcement actions.
What distinguishes the June 1 patrol is that China's Coast Guard operated independently in waters east of Taiwan for the first time, without PLA coordination. The move effectively treats waters surrounding Taiwan as subject to Chinese domestic law enforcement jurisdiction — a unilateral assertion of jurisdictional authority over Taiwan's surrounding seas.
A Pattern of Encirclement: China's Coast Guard Tightens Its Ring Around Taiwan
State media outlet CCTV's WeChat channel "Yuyuan Tantian (玉淵譚天)" has outlined a progression in Beijing's maritime enforcement posture. In its early phase, China's Coast Guard conducted periodic patrols in waters surrounding Taiwan. After 2024, those patrols shifted toward a regularized, routine presence.
In May 2024, China's Coast Guard announced that Fujian Coast Guard vessels had conducted comprehensive law enforcement exercises near Wuqiu Island and Dongyin Island.
In 2025, Coast Guard formations began circling Taiwan under what Beijing describes as the "one China principle," progressively expanding coverage across waters surrounding the island.
The June 1 patrol extended that reach to waters east of Taiwan. "What has expanded is not only the patrol track, but also governance capacity and jurisdictional reach," Yuyuan Tantian stated.
"The relevant waters east of Taiwan are China's jurisdictional seas," Yuyuan Tantian added. "China's maritime rights and interests are inviolable. Any attempt to bypass China and engage in private arrangements will not succeed."
Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council Vows to Expel Chinese Vessels
Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) and Coast Guard Administration issued a joint statement on June 1 strongly condemning the patrol and announcing active monitoring and expulsion efforts against the Chinese Coast Guard vessels. The OAC specifically objected to Beijing's use of the term "China's Taiwan Island," calling it an attempt to fabricate a false impression of jurisdictional authority. Taiwan's authorities said they would employ all available means to firmly defend maritime sovereignty and navigational safety.
