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Taiwan hits back at Beijing’s ‘cognitive warfare’ after coastguard patrols

Island’s defence minister says the operation aimed at asserting mainland jurisdiction over waters Beijing does not control

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Lawrence Chungin TaipeiPublished: 8:00pm, 8 Jun 2026Updated: 8:26pm, 8 Jun 2026

Taiwan has accused Beijing of escalating tensions after mainland Chinese coastguard and survey vessels carried out law-enforcement operations in waters off the island’s east coast.

Over the weekend, mainland China’s transport ministry announced a “special maritime traffic law enforcement operation” and dispatched a flotilla of coastguard vessels into the waters east of Taiwan. That included the coastguard’s largest patrol vessel.Chinese state media said the operation was a “necessary action” to respond to Tokyo and Manila’s announcement late last month that they would begin talks on delineating their maritime boundaries in the region. That announcement was condemned by Beijing.Advertisement

Taiwan’s defence minister on Monday described the move as a provocation and a form of “cognitive warfare” aimed at asserting mainland Chinese jurisdiction over waters that Beijing does not control.

“China intends to claim that waters off Taiwan’s east coast are also within its law-enforcement jurisdiction,” Wellington Koo Li-hsiung told reporters before a meeting of the island’s legislature, saying this seriously harmed Taiwan’s rights.

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Taiwan’s defence ministry and coastguard would coordinate to safeguard the island’s maritime security, Koo said.

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