A Chinese scientific research vessel conducted a fisheries resources survey in waters east of Taiwan from July 17 to 23, the second such mission by Beijing in the area since June, heightening tensions over maritime jurisdiction.
The Lanhai 201, dispatched by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, was located 53 nautical miles east-northeast of Orchid Island sailing north on the final day of the operation. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration condemned the survey as a violation of sovereignty, accusing Beijing of political manipulation and cognitive warfare. Liang Wen-chieh, deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said the move was intended to assert jurisdiction over the waters and warned that similar incursions would become more frequent, with the coast guard serving as the first line of response.
The mission follows a June 16–18 survey by the Xiang Yang Hong 22, which entered Taiwan's restricted waters. Liang acknowledged the coast guard faces shortages in vessel numbers and tonnage.