China uses civilian fleet to expand control around Taiwan

The Times reports that China conducted a large-scale maritime operation east of Taiwan, during which coast guard and research vessels stopped foreign cargo ships and mapped the seabed. Experts assess this as China's most ambitious non-military strategic undertaking around Taiwan to date. Taiwan called the activity a violation of international law.

China has used its civilian fleet to systematically expand its control over waters surrounding Taiwan, according to the UK newspaper The Times. During the operation east of Taiwan, Chinese coast guard and research vessels stopped foreign cargo ships and strategically mapped the seabed.

Stopping ships and seabed mapping

According to Taiwan's authorities, a Chinese patrol vessel demanded information last week from foreign cargo ships operating in Taiwan's economic zone, registered in Singapore, Liberia, and Benin, about their origin, destination, and crew composition. Simultaneously, a Chinese research vessel surveyed the seabed in the area off Taiwan's eastern coast, where the continental shelf drops sharply into deep waters. This zone is considered strategically vital for submarine operations.

Taiwan called China's activity a violation of international law and warned that such behaviour undermines security across the entire region. Beijing itself claimed the operation was in response to a May summit between Japan and the Philippines, where the two countries agreed to clarify the boundaries of their territorial waters.

Strategy without direct military escalation

Experts view the operation as part of China's long-term strategy aimed at pressuring Taiwan without direct military confrontation. The use of civilian vessels allows China to test Taiwan's and the international community's response, and to expand its influence incrementally.

The Times assesses the operation as China's most ambitious non-military undertaking vis-à-vis Taiwan to date. It is reportedly part of a long-term strategy whose ultimate goal is to resolve the so-called Taiwan question on Beijing's terms. China regards Taiwan as an inseparable part of itself and has pledged to recover it by force if necessary.

Why the seabed matters

According to US security expert Raymond Powell, seabed mapping helps gather data that China needs to hide its own submarines and detect those of adversaries. "I would stress finding all of the others. In a conflict over Taiwan, US and allied submarines operating east of the island would be one of the greatest threats. They are hard to find and they can threaten Chinese forces and its fleet," Powell said.

Thomas Shugart, a former US Navy officer and defence analyst, noted that the five-day mapping operation did not give China much new information. "But it sent a symbolic message. It's part of their projection of sovereignty," Shugart said.

Global dimensions

Taiwan plays a key role in the global economy, as a significant portion of the world's advanced semiconductor chips are produced there. A blockade of the island could seriously disrupt global supply chains, and should the US attempt to break such a blockade, much would depend on the capabilities of the submarine fleet.

The Times reports that Xi Jinping's preferred strategy appears to be to pressure Taiwan through repeated military exercises and gradual expansion of influence. Xi has reportedly assured Donald Trump that China has no intention of launching a full-scale assault on Taiwan, but Beijing continues its systematic approach, which strengthens its position in the event of future conflict.