China has deployed more than 100 naval and coast guard vessels across regional waters in what Taiwan describes as an unprecedented show of maritime force, according to reporting from Telegraph UK and information relayed by a Taiwan security official speaking to AFP. The surge in deployments reportedly began ahead of the meeting between Donald Trump, the US president, and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, in Beijing, and expanded further after the summit concluded. Taiwanese authorities have warned that the scale and timing of the operation signals a deliberate attempt to project power across one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints, intensifying concerns about regional stability.
Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan’s national security council and a former foreign minister, said in a post on X that China’s actions amounted to “the one and only problem wrecking the status quo and threatening regional peace and stability.” His remarks were accompanied by a map showing Chinese vessels dispersed across a vast maritime expanse, stretching from the Yellow Sea in the north to the South China Sea in the south, and hugging the coastlines of South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The visual depiction underscored Taiwan’s claim that Beijing’s maritime activity is not isolated but part of a broader pattern of sustained pressure across the Indo-Pacific.
The deployment highlights the widening geographic footprint of Chinese maritime operations, which Taiwanese officials say now extend across key strategic sea lanes used by global shipping. Marine survey and research vessels are reported to be among the ships involved, raising concerns in Taipei that civilian-labelled assets may be used to support military objectives or grey-zone operations. The presence of such vessels near Taiwan has repeatedly triggered warnings from the island’s coast guard, which has accused Chinese ships of conducting unauthorised hydrological surveys in sensitive waters close to its shoreline.
A separate incident highlighted by Joseph Wu included footage showing a Taiwanese coast guard vessel tracking and warning off a Chinese research ship conducting such surveys near Taiwan earlier this month. The video, which was shared with dramatic music, was presented by Taiwanese authorities as evidence of an escalating pattern of maritime incursions. Officials also warned that Chinese research activity has expanded well beyond the immediate vicinity of Taiwan, reflecting a broader push by Beijing to normalise its presence in contested waters through persistent, low-level operations that stop short of open confrontation.
According to Taiwanese assessments cited in the reporting, Chinese research and survey vessels have extended their operational reach across the Indo-Pacific, with activity reported as far as the Korean Peninsula and even toward waters near Hawaii. The material shared by Taipei suggested that China’s maritime footprint has also reached into the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, waters around Australia, and even the Arctic. While it is not always clear what these vessels are doing, analysts note that Chinese naval and coast guard crews have previously operated or trained in many of these regions, reflecting the growing global scope of Beijing’s maritime ambitions.
The latest escalation comes amid longstanding tensions between China and Taiwan, a self-governing democracy with its own military, currency, and foreign policy. China, led by Xi Jinping, continues to claim Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Since Xi became leader in 2012, Chinese military activity around the island has intensified significantly, with near-daily incursions by fighter jets and warships into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone and repeated large-scale military exercises designed to signal coercive capability.
Beijing’s increased pressure has often coincided with moments of political sensitivity, both domestically and internationally. During Xi Jinping’s meeting with Donald Trump, the Chinese leader reportedly warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to “clashes and even conflicts,” underscoring its central place in US-China relations. For Taiwan’s government under President Lai Ching-te, the growing military pressure has reinforced calls for stronger defence preparedness and increased military spending, though domestic political divisions have complicated agreement on the scale and structure of such investments.
Those divisions were highlighted in Taipei when opposition lawmakers, including members of the Kuomintang party, approved only two-thirds of a proposed $40bn defence-related budget request. Supporters of increased spending gathered in central Taipei to back government plans, while critics argued that parts of the package lacked clarity and could expose public funds to misuse. Despite disagreements, there remains broad consensus across Taiwan’s political spectrum that additional resources are needed to strengthen deterrence against China’s growing military capabilities.
At the same time, Taiwan’s defence strategy is increasingly shaped by lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine, where drones have played a decisive role on the battlefield. Taiwanese planners have accelerated efforts to expand domestic drone production, with ambitions to become a leading exporter of unmanned systems in Asia. Plans reportedly aim for production capacity of up to 100,000 drones per month by 2030, with a significant share intended for export. The shift reflects a broader attempt by Taiwan to enhance asymmetric warfare capabilities in response to China’s numerical military superiority, even as uncertainty persists over future US arms deliveries following Washington’s decision to temporarily pause a major weapons package under pressure linked to wider geopolitical considerations.
