Beijing's five-day enforcement operation inspected 198 vessels and mapped the seabed east of Taiwan — then state media declared the waters China's new "coastal sea."
China's maritime authorities completed a multi-agency law enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan on June 10, inspecting 198 vessels and conducting the first-ever seabed survey by mainland Chinese agencies in that zone under a civilian enforcement framework.
Background: Why the Operation Was Launched
The operation followed bilateral negotiations between Japan and the Philippines on Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf boundaries — a process Beijing views as unilateral and illegitimate. The maritime areas under discussion overlap with zones Taiwan also claims, though Taipei was excluded from the talks.
In response, China's Ministry of Transport organized a joint task force comprising the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration, Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration, East China Sea Navigation Guarantee Center, and East China Sea Rescue Bureau. The operation — officially designated a "special maritime traffic law enforcement action" — launched on June 6.
Notably, this marks the first time Chinese coast guard and official vessels conducted enforcement activities in waters east of Taiwan outside the framework of People's Liberation Army operations. Prior mainland coast guard appearances in the area had all been conducted in coordination with military exercises.
Operational Results: 198 Vessels Inspected, Seabed Mapped
State broadcaster CCTV reported that the five-day operation covered a total voyage of 1,030 nautical miles, with seabed survey operations spanning 1,025 nautical miles. Enforcement personnel inspected 198 vessels, issued compliance corrections to three, and conducted patrols of key anchorages, marine construction zones, high-risk collision warning areas, and submarine cable corridors.
Authorities stated that vessels were reminded to comply with navigation rules, and that vessel identification codes and navigational aid systems were checked throughout the operation.
Three Signals: The Terminology Shift from "Taiwan Strait" to "China's Coastal Waters"
Following the operation, "Yuyuan Tantian (玉淵譚天)" — a social media account affiliated with the CCTV — published analysis highlighting what it described as a landmark development: this was the first time mainland China conducted seabed survey operations east of Taiwan within a maritime law enforcement framework, effectively completing Beijing's submarine topographic mapping of waters surrounding the island.
The commentary identified three signals from the operation. The seabed mapping filled in the previously uncharted eastern flank of Taiwan's coastal waters. The enforcement action established what it called a "coastal governance model" around Taiwan. And in the most pointed signal of all, the commentary declared that the term "Taiwan Strait" would progressively disappear from Beijing's official framing: "In the future, the term 'Taiwan Strait' will appear less and less in our field of view. From now on, the waters east of Taiwan are our 'coastal waters' — the ocean where we are present, exercise jurisdiction, and govern."
