Taipei orders merchant ships to defy Chinese boarding attempts

The instruction marks a significant hardening of Taipei’s maritime policy. Officials confirmed that Taiwanese Coast Guard units are now authorized to intervene if Chinese vessels attempt to assert jurisdiction in waters currently under Taiwan’s administrative control. This move comes as Beijing increasingly utilizes its coast guard to conduct what it terms "special law enforcement operations" near the island.

By leveraging civilian maritime agencies rather than naval warships, Beijing seeks to exert pressure and normalize its presence in contested waters without triggering a direct military conflict. While no Taiwanese ships have been forcibly boarded, recent incidents involved Chinese authorities questioning commercial captains about their routes and cargo. Taipei’s new guidance aims to prevent these inquiries from becoming standard practice, signaling a refusal to concede sovereignty in the face of what it describes as an attempt to undermine regional freedom of navigation. The strategy reflects a broader trend where geopolitical friction is shifting from military drills toward persistent, low-level maritime harassment.