Taiwan stepped up patrols as China's summer fishing ban ended, pushing out boats that crossed into Taiwanese waters — a show of force aimed at Beijing and at protecting local fishermen.

• Taiwan's coast guard ran a three-day joint land-and-sea sweep around Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu and drove off eight boats that had crossed the line.
• The timing was deliberate: China's seasonal fishing ban lifted this week, and Chinese boats usually flood back in right after.
• The operation was large — dozens of patrol boat runs, hundreds of officers, patrol cars and even sniffer dogs, with extra watch west of Penghu's Qimei.
• More than a hundred Chinese boats have already been pushed out of Penghu waters this year, two were seized, and fines have run into the millions of Taiwan dollars.
• One Taiwanese boat was also caught fishing illegally during the sweep.

Outlook: Expect more of these confrontations in the coming weeks as Chinese fleets return to the strait in force.