(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) ‘Hybrid warfare’: Taiwan drives away 16 Chinese ships | South China Sea News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/18/taiwan-drives-away-16-chinese-ships-accused-of-maritime-harassment)                                               (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/10/18/taiwan-drives-away-16-chinese-ships-accused-of-maritime-harassment)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/afp_6ad4d4ad6b6c-1792332973.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/10/afp_6ad4d4ad6b6c-1792332973.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6cd3b839.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.e3bc53a0.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.b9196be1.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~d92ce3db.c3cbd92c.r2.chunk.css) (https://www.aljazeera.com/static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (https://www.aljazeera.com/static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~41c72a2c.6aa6af66.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~06be7c11.0625e98d.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/pages/article-page~493df0b3.93e3f65b.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (taiwan-drives-away-16-chinese-ships-accused-of-maritime-harassment@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/aljazeera-originals) Originals   (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/south-china-sea/) South China Sea   ‘Hybrid warfare’: Taiwan drives away 16 Chinese ships China is ramping up its presence around Taiwan, in a pattern that Taipei said is designed to ‘alter the status quo’.   Listen   Listen (2 mins)       Save       Share ‘Hybrid warfare’: Taiwan drives away 16 Chinese ships on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fd4xiyq) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%98Hybrid%20warfare%E2%80%99%3A%20Taiwan%20drives%20away%2016%20Chinese%20ships&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fd4xiyq) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fd4xiyq) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/d4xiyq)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (An armed rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) displaying Taiwan's national flag patrols alongside as security escort during the Taiwan Navy's prototype submarine Hai Kun (SS-711) 24th sea trial off Kaohsiung on October 13, 2026. (Photo by cheng-chia huang / AFP))   Taiwan's coastguard said it took 'forceful action' to confront Chinese vessels [File: Cheng-chia Huang/AFP]   (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458)     By  (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458) Al Jazeera Staff and AFP   Published On 18 Oct 2026 18 Oct 2026    Taiwan has confronted and driven away 16 Chinese coastguard, research and fishing vessels that it said were involved in simultaneous “maritime harassment” operations. An “unusually large” number of Chinese vessels took part in coordinated operations around Taiwan’s main island and Pratas (also known as Dongsha), a disputed island to the southwest, the Taiwanese coastguard said in a statement on Sunday. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/10/2/aje-onl-nf_taiwan-coast-guard-fires-water-cannon-on-chinese-021026) Taiwan Coast Guard confronts Chinese fishing boats in Dongsha waters  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/10/taiwan-president-says-defence-spending-boost-aims-to-deter-war) Taiwan president says defence spending boost aims to ‘deter war’  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/china-sanctions-paraguay-belize-ministers-over-taiwan-ties) China sanctions Paraguay, Belize ministers over Taiwan ties   end of list  The Chinese vessels included four fishing boats, which engaged in “simultaneous operations’ that the coastguard described as “hybrid warfare”. Taiwan’s coastguard said its vessels took “forceful action immediately to effectively neutralise the threats” and accused Beijing of “attempting to unilaterally alter the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait and give the “false impression of jurisdiction”. Some of the vessels reportedly entered Taiwan’s restricted waters. Intensified maritime pressure Beijing claims Taiwan and Pratas as part of its territory and asserts jurisdiction over the surrounding waters, which Taipei rejects. China has long threatened to use force to regain control of Taiwan. In an incident on October 1 , Taiwan’s coastguard fired water cannon at a Chinese recreational fishing vessel near Pratas island between Taiwan and mainland China that Beijing claims. China has intensified its maritime pressure on Taiwan in recent months. Beijing deployed a record 244 coastguard, scientific research and other ships around Taiwan’s main island in July, Taiwanese official data show, compared with just 58 in the same month last year. Advertisement    In the first 21 days of August, 152 vessels were detected; most were from the Chinese Coastguard, but fishing boats and research vessels were also involved. China also deploys warships around Taiwan on a near-daily basis, but those are counted separately.                 aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss     (https://bsky.app/profile/aljazeera.com) bluesky     (https://www.tiktok.com/@aljazeeraenglish) tiktok-colored-outline                  (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network