China Coast Guard Disrupts Kinmen Waters Ahead of Dragon Boat Festival — The ROC Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Responds with Full-Spectrum Expulsion Operations

Just three days ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, Mainland China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels continued their gray-zone provocations in the waters surrounding Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands. At approximately 14:00 on May 27, Taiwan’s Patrol Area Office 12 of the ROC Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) detected four CCG vessels operating with Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders disabled, a tactic known as "dark vessel," as they approached Kinmen’s Restricted Area.
At 14:50 and 15:00, CCG vessels 14609, 14603, 14608, and 14513 entered Taiwan’s sovereign waters from eastern and western sectors of Kinmen, sailing in two paired formations. In response, four pre-deployed TCGA Patrol Boats quickly maneuvered into parallel formations to block and monitor the incursions.
Using radio broadcasts in Mandarin and English, TCGA assets issued firm orders demanding the CCG vessels exit the Restricted Area. Under continuous escort and pressure, the intruding ships withdrew from the area between 16:55 and 17:00.
The Kinmen–Matsu–Penghu (KMP) Branch of TCGA stated that the persistent gray-zone incursions by CCG assets appear designed to drain Taiwan’s maritime monitoring resources. Despite this, Taiwan’s maritime forces maintain round-the-clock surveillance and rapid-response capabilities, ensuring swift deployment and strong enforcement to defend national sovereignty and maritime security.