China sent coast guard ships into waters east of Taiwan and called it a routine law-enforcement patrol, a claim Taiwan rejects as a push to expand its control by force of habit.

• Two Chinese coast guard ships were drifting off Taiwan's east coast, and Taiwan sent its own vessels to shadow them.
• Taiwan calls the "law enforcement" label fake — a political move to make Chinese authority over Taiwan's seas look normal.
• Chinese government ships around Taiwan have jumped sharply this summer, with sightings in nearby waters up almost threefold from last year.
• Taiwan's position is blunt: China has no jurisdiction over any of Taiwan's waters, and the two sides are not subordinate to each other.

Outlook: Expect more of these patrols and more Taiwanese shadowing missions, keeping tension high without either side firing a shot.