On December 23, 2025, four Chinese coast guard ships continued to provoke the waters near Kinmen Island on the 22nd, following their intrusion on the 18th. After Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration detected the four Chinese coast guard ships, patrol boats were immediately dispatched to deter and drive them away.
According to a press release from the Maritime and Port Bureau of the Republic of China, Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu Branch on the 22nd, at around 2 pm, Chinese coast guard ships were spotted assembling in two separate locations to the east and southwest of Kinmen. Patrol boats were promptly deployed for pre-positioning.
The Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu Branch of the Coast Guard Administration pointed out that the four Chinese coast guard ships, numbered “14606,” “14508,” “14605,” and “14609,” adopted a “paired, advancing from east and west” mode around 2:50 pm. They entered the restricted waters of Kinmen from the southwest of Lieyu and southeast of Loro, attempting to scatter the monitoring efforts of the coast guard personnel.
The branch stated that the Coast Guard Administration had pre-positioned four patrol boats, which immediately sailed to monitor the Chinese ships in a “one-on-one” formation to deter them from advancing further into the waters. At the same time, stern warnings were issued in both Chinese and English via radio broadcast, asserting that their actions seriously disrupted regional peace and stability, affected maritime order, and demanded an immediate change of direction.
Despite the full efforts of the Coast Guard to block their advance, the Chinese coast guard fleet turned around at around 4:53 pm on the 22nd and sailed out of the restricted waters of Kinmen.
The Coast Guard Administration emphasized that from the observed behavior of the Chinese coast guard ships, it appears to be a “normalized harassment,” affecting the atmosphere across the strait and undermining regional peace and stability.
The Coast Guard Administration will maintain a firm law enforcement stance, closely monitor the movements of Chinese coast guard ships, and proactively deploy patrol vessels. In the event of any issues, prompt monitoring and expulsion will take place. Law enforcement footage will be made public to debunk any false information spread by the Chinese coast guard, defending national sovereignty and maintaining the morale and confidence of the people.