China Deploys Record Ship Numbers Near Taiwan Amid Paracel Island Expansion
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration reported a record 244 Chinese vessels operating near Taiwan's waters last month, with 152 ships detected in the first three weeks of August. Simultaneously, satellite imagery confirmed new military construction on Yagong Island near Antelope Reef in the Paracels. Analysts believe the new three-pronged structure is an early-warning radar facility. This infrastructure expansion is designed to bolster China's anti-submarine warfare capabilities and exercise jurisdiction over vital maritime corridors in the South China Sea.