Four Chinese coast guard ships pushed into Taiwan-controlled waters around Kinmen and were driven off by Taiwanese patrol boats — another sign of steady pressure on Taiwan's front-line islands.

• Four Chinese coast guard vessels crossed into Kinmen's restricted waters in two columns before being escorted out.
• Taiwan's coast guard shadowed each ship one-on-one and broadcast warnings in Chinese and English until they left after about two hours.
• The timing follows the end of China's summer fishing ban, which sent a wave of Chinese fishing boats back out to sea.
• Taiwan told Beijing to control its own fishing fleet instead, pointing to repeated illegal crossings into neighbors' waters.
• Taipei frames the incursions as "gray zone" pressure — actions just short of open conflict, meant to wear down the status quo.

Outlook: These standoffs around Kinmen are likely to keep repeating as the fishing season ramps up, with no shots fired but steady friction.