Taiwan's government is pushing back hard after China defended its coast guard patrols off Taiwan's east coast, and the dispute shows how far apart the two sides have drifted.

• A Taiwan government poll found 70.5% of people see the Chinese coast guard patrols as hostile, against 7.5% who call them friendly.
• Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office called the poll deliberately inflammatory and said the patrols are a lawful, just defense of Chinese sovereignty.
• Taipei's answer: if the patrols are just, why do almost all Taiwanese see them as hostile?
• Taiwan defended the poll's credibility, noting it was run by a university research center and that a separate pollster got nearly identical numbers.

Outlook: Chinese patrols in the waters around Taiwan are likely to continue, keeping public opinion on the island firmly negative toward Beijing.