China sent a record number of ships into waters around Taiwan last month, a bad sign for Taiwan's security and for regional stability.

• Taiwan's coast guard tracked 244 Chinese vessels around the main island in July, close to eight a day.
• The ships include coast guard patrol boats and research vessels, not just navy warships.
• Since May, more than 1,200 Chinese ship sightings have been logged around Taiwan and its outlying islands.
• Analysts think the research ships are mapping the seabed to help Chinese submarines operate there.
• Taiwan's coast guard says the situation is getting more serious, with July standing out as a sharp jump.

Outlook: Expect Beijing to keep raising the pressure with more ships in the coming months, and Taiwan to keep shadowing them.