China’s Taiwan Strait Drills Reveal Coast Guard’s Military Command Role, Exposing Longstanding Deception

Recent military exercises by China in the Taiwan Strait have publicly confirmed, for the first time, the direct military control of China’s Coast Guard, contradicting Beijing’s long-held claims that the agency is purely civilian.

What significant revelation emerged from China’s recent Taiwan Strait drills?

In a significant disclosure, Taiwan Coast Guard authorities confirmed that during China’s military drills in the Taiwan Strait in April 2025, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels operated directly under the command of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command. This openly confirmed longstanding suspicions of Beijing’s coast guard being militarily controlled rather than serving merely as civilian maritime law enforcement.

Why is this revelation significant?

This revelation, described as “ground-breaking” by the U.S.-based Atlantic Council, challenges China’s persistent narrative that its coast guard operates solely as a civilian law enforcement agency. China’s use of the CCG under military command highlights Beijing’s strategic deception aimed at masking aggressive military operations under the guise of law enforcement.

What did China’s coast guard vessels specifically do during these drills?

The 33-hour-long drills saw China Coast Guard vessels simulate a blockade scenario in the Taiwan Strait, including boarding and inspecting ships entering and leaving Taiwanese ports. Such direct military involvement of coast guard vessels in these actions is unprecedented in the Taiwan Strait, a critical international trade route.

What are the broader strategic implications of China’s coast guard operating under military command?

Analysts describe this tactic as part of China’s broader strategy of “legal warfare,” aimed at exerting sovereignty and jurisdictional claims over Taiwan and other disputed maritime territories. By using the coast guard for aggressive actions typically reserved for the navy, China aims to blur international perceptions, avoiding direct military scrutiny while simultaneously exerting military pressure.

Has China’s Coast Guard been involved in other regional disputes?

Yes. The China Coast Guard has repeatedly engaged in confrontational actions in disputed regions. Notably:

• South China Sea: Numerous aggressive incidents involving Philippine vessels around Second Thomas Shoal, despite an international tribunal ruling rejecting China’s claims in the region.
• East China Sea: Persistent intrusions into waters around Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, where China continues challenging Japan’s sovereignty.

When and how did the China Coast Guard become militarised?

Since 2018, the China Coast Guard has been directly placed under the Central Military Commission, China’s highest military authority. Additionally, a 2021 Chinese law officially empowered the coast guard with weaponry and lethal force capabilities. Experts note this has effectively transformed the agency into a secondary navy, tasked with asserting territorial dominance rather than traditional Coast Guard duties like search and rescue or anti-smuggling operations.

What prompted China’s recent drills in the Taiwan Strait?

According to a Taiwanese analysis reported by CNN, China’s provocative drills in April 2025 were primarily a reaction to recent U.S. statements reaffirming the strategic importance of security and stability in the Taiwan Strait, alongside America’s explicit pivot of security focus to the Indo-Pacific region.

This disclosure highlights China’s strategic use of the coast guard as a military proxy, significantly altering regional security dynamics and complicating diplomatic interactions with Taiwan, the U.S., and regional partners.