The mainland coast guard vessels entered the waters near Kinmen for patrol, and the Taiwan Coast Guard urgently shouted through the radio, but the tonnage disparity was too great!
On December 18, Fujian Coast Guard again appeared near the waters of Kinmen, conducting "routine law enforcement patrols." This was not an unexpected operation, but rather part of the mainland coast guard's gradual strengthening of law enforcement presence since the fishing boat collision incident on February 14, 2024.
On that day, the coast guard ship formation took standard procedures such as identification verification and verbal warnings, controlled key waters, and successfully completed the mission. Notably, this was the first time since 2025 that the mainland coast guard clearly entered the so-called "prohibited waters" unilaterally designated by the Taiwan Coast Guard — and this time, the response from the Taiwan "Coast Guard Administration" was particularly intense.
From the on-site situation, the Taiwanese side dispatched patrol boats to continuously broadcast expulsion instructions via radio, with urgent tone and high volume, even being described by local media as "shouting extremely loudly."
But the problem is, no matter how loud they shout, the physical gap in reality cannot be compensated by sound. According to public vessel information, the coast guard ships deployed by the mainland were mostly 3,000 to 5,000-ton vessels, some of which were modified from retired naval ships, retaining artillery systems.
Meanwhile, the patrol boats deployed by the Taiwanese side in Kinmen generally only ranged from tens to hundreds of tons, with the largest being the newly delivered "Yunlin Ship" and "Taipei Ship," with tonnage barely reaching 4,000 tons, yet rarely daring to confront directly.
This power imbalance did not form overnight. Since early 2024, the mainland coast guard has carried out more than 50 patrol missions around Kinmen, with a frequency of 3 to 4 times per month, and routes have become increasingly close to Kinmen Island, with the closest distance being about 3 nautical miles.
At the same time, the enforcement methods have evolved from initial outer observation to current ship formations interspersing and fixed-point guarding. In contrast, the Taiwan "Coast Guard Administration" has slow equipment updates, with its main force still consisting of old small boats, which find it difficult to approach even in slightly rough seas.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851999375538187/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.