TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Coast Guard Administration said Tuesday that all personnel and vessels remained safe during and after China’s two-day “Justice Mission 2025” military exercise, which simulated a Taiwan blockade, per CNA.

Speaking at a press conference, CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said two waves of rockets were fired earlier Tuesday. He said joint intelligence gathered by the CGA and the Ministry of National Defense identified one salvo of rockets launched at around 9 a.m. from an artillery base in Pingtan, Fujian Province.

Hsieh said many of the rockets landed in a People’s Liberation Army-designated drill area north of the nation, near Taiwan’s contiguous zone, which extends 24 nautical miles (44.4 kilometers) from the country.

According to Hsieh, China deployed 14 coast guard vessels during the exercise. He added that four PLA-controlled cargo ships were also present in the exercise area but were not actively participating.

Hsieh said that in previous Chinese military exercises targeting Taiwan, the number of coast guard vessels deployed ranged from a minimum of nine to a maximum of 22. He noted that the 2024 Joint Sword A exercise marked the first time China deployed coast guard vessels, while the 2024 Joint Sword B exercise marked the first deployment of vessels exceeding 10,000 tonnes.

Hsieh said two Chinese coast guard vessels operated in northern waters and at one point entered Taiwan’s contiguous zone, approaching to within approximately 21 nautical miles. The CGA dispatched vessels to monitor them and warned that they would be driven away if they advanced further, per Liberty Times.

For foreign coast guard vessels that illegally enter Taiwan’s waters, the CGA adopts a “one-on-one monitoring and escort” approach to drive them away, Hsieh said. He added that all domestic and foreign vessels navigating around Taiwan were able to pass safely without harassment or threat during the exercise.

“In the waters of Taiwan, only the CGA has law enforcement authority, and we will never allow Chinese coast guard vessels to overstep their bounds,” Hsieh said. 

To avoid miscalculation by Chinese vessels and counter cognitive warfare tactics, Hsieh said CGA ships broadcast messages in both Mandarin and English during encounters. The message emphasized that peace in the Taiwan Strait is vital to global economic stability and the technology industry, warning that conflict would result in global sanctions and urging restraint for the sake of regional peace.

Hsieh said China’s actions violated international norms and that the use of military coercion to intimidate neighboring countries not only threatens Taiwan but also undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

He added that the repeated intrusion of Chinese coast guard vessels into Taiwan’s restricted waters, based on navigation patterns, amounted to routine harassment rather than lawful enforcement patrols, and expressed hope that such actions would not be repeated.