Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Friday, 20 June 2025 confirmed it had warned off a Chinese oceanographic research vessel, the Xiang Yang Hong 22, after it entered Taiwan's restricted waters off the coast of Su'ao in Yilan County late Thursday night. The incident marks the latest flashpoint in an escalating pattern of Chinese maritime activity around the island.

How the Interception Unfolded

The Xiang Yang Hong 22 entered Taiwan's restricted waters at 11:35 pm local time on Thursday. The CGA deployed two vessels in response — the 600-tonne-class Lanyu patrol vessel and the 100-tonne-class patrol boat PP-10077 — to shadow the Chinese ship and broadcast radio warnings ordering it to withdraw immediately.

The crew aboard the Lanyu radioed the Chinese vessel, asserting that China has no sovereignty over waters off Taiwan's east coast and demanding it leave at once. The two Taiwanese patrol vessels then flanked the Xiang Yang Hong 22 and executed manoeuvres designed to generate waves and disrupt the ship's operations, according to the CGA statement.

The Chinese vessel eventually departed Taiwan's restricted waters at 4:20 am local time on Friday. Earlier in the night, the Lanyu had also detected the Xiang Yang Hong 22 approximately 41 nautical miles east of Hualien and issued similar warnings to exit Taiwan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Taiwan's Official Position

The CGA accused China of using government and research vessels to navigate Taiwan's EEZ 'as a pretext to engage in hegemonic expansion.' In a pointed statement, the agency asserted that Taiwan holds 'sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its eastern exclusive economic zone' and that China's attempts to harass Taiwan through maritime navigation or scientific research 'cannot change this indisputable fact.'

President Lai Ching-te Urges China to Stand Down

The maritime confrontation coincided with remarks by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who on Thursday urged China to halt its military expansion in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and to refrain from any use of force against the island.

Speaking at a reception for foreign correspondents in Taipei, Lai expressed Taiwan's willingness to engage in 'exchanges and cooperation based on equality and dignity, in pursuit of peaceful and mutually beneficial development.' He noted that 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first direct presidential election — an event that took place, he recalled, despite missile threats from China, and which sent a message to the international community that 'sovereignty rests with the people.'

Lai also stated unequivocally that China and Taiwan are not subordinate to each other and that Taiwan is not part of China. He expressed gratitude to G7 leaders, at their summit in Evian, France, for reiterating their opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.

Broader Context: A Pattern of Pressure

The incident is not isolated. China has steadily increased the frequency and scale of its military and maritime exercises around Taiwan in recent years. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification.

This comes amid a broader trend of Chinese vessels — both military and nominally civilian — operating in waters Taiwan considers within its sovereign jurisdiction. Critics argue that deploying research ships into disputed zones serves a dual purpose: gathering hydrographic intelligence while testing Taiwan's response thresholds.

Taiwan, backed by strong domestic public support for its democratic governance, continues to assert its sovereignty and has consistently responded to Chinese incursions. The CGA's deployment of wave-generating manoeuvres signals a more assertive operational posture from Taipei's maritime forces.