A China militia boat was spotted off Taiwan’s Pacific coast in mid-August alongside a Chinese coast guard cutter and a research vessel, according to a surveillance report by Taiwan’s Apex Aviation that was reviewed by Reuters and reported on Oct. 8, 2026. It is the first known sighting of such a craft in the sensitive waters east of the island.
Taiwanese officials say Beijing has stepped up activity off the east coast since June with regular coast guard patrols, and they believe China is practicing for a possible maritime blockade using a mix of military, paramilitary and civilian vessels, according to the Reuters report.
What the Apex Aviation patrol found
The Apex report identifies the vessel as the Minfudingyu 07902, a fishing boat that doubles as a Chinese maritime militia craft. A reconnaissance aircraft operated by the company detected a Chinese maritime group more than 30 nautical miles off Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast. Apex asked that the exact date be withheld, citing safety concerns about counter-reconnaissance against its flights.
The report uses radar screenshots, infrared imagery and automatic identification system data to document the cluster, according to a fuller version of the Reuters story published by Global Banking & Finance Review. Honor Hung, Apex’s defense and security director, said the three Chinese vessels were spread over a radius of about 10 nautical miles and that a single tracking flight could not determine their missions or whether they were coordinating. Apex flies a civilian light aircraft fitted with a U.S.-made radar that can detect objects as small as 900 square centimeters (140 square inches).
Apex, better known for pilot training and charter flights, says its patrols are run independently and not for the government. The effort reflects Taiwan’s “whole of society resilience” push to involve civilian firms in security-related technology.
Taiwan confirms the China militia boat sighting
Two senior Taiwanese officials told Reuters that the Minfudingyu, coast guard cutter 2502 and the research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03 were operating near Taiwan in mid-August. One official said authorities had identified the fishing boat as part of the People’s Liberation Army’s maritime militia fleet, operating “in coordination with Chinese coast guard maritime harassment drills.” The other said the vessels were in an area not commonly used by Chinese ships and had been designated for heightened monitoring.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said China was “using law enforcement and scientific research as cover for harassment” to create an illusion of de facto jurisdiction, and that the actions challenge Taiwan’s maritime rights. The ministry said the military is tracking Chinese activity with reconnaissance tools in coordination with other agencies, including the coast guard. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and defense ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory; Taipei rejects that claim.
Why Taiwan’s east coast matters
Taipei regards the waters off its east coast as critical to wartime supply routes from allies in the event of a blockade or conflict. The Pacific side faces open ocean rather than the narrow Taiwan Strait to the west.
China’s maritime militia, a practice dating to the 1950s, is made up of fishing vessels whose crews receive training and support to operate in disputed waters, often alongside coast guard ships. It is more commonly seen around South China Sea flashpoints. Analysts say the fleet helps Beijing assert maritime claims while keeping a civilian appearance. Similar tactics have been reported near the Philippines, as in our coverage of the Philippines Batanes standoff with a China vessel.
Wider pressure around Taiwan
The report comes as Beijing’s rhetoric toward Taipei has hardened. Chinese leader Xi Jinping used National Day remarks this month to warn against independence, as covered in our report on Xi’s Taiwan independence warning, while Taiwan has continued to strengthen its air force with new F-16V jet deliveries from the United States.
Regional tensions extend to Japan. On Wednesday, Tokyo told Beijing to “show appropriate respect” after a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson referred to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by name without her title, The Japan Times reported. Ties have soured since Takaichi suggested in 2025 that Japan could intervene if Taiwan were attacked.