Chinese coast guard vessels entered Kinmen's restricted waters for the fourth time this week, with Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration responding by shadowing them and broadcasting warnings to drive them away, as maritime friction between the two sides continues to escalate.

• Four Chinese coast guard vessels gathered and approached in waters south of Kinmen this morning, and were driven off by the Coast Guard after entering the restricted zone.
• The Coast Guard dispatched patrol boats to shadow them one-on-one and issued broadcast warnings in Chinese and English; all the Chinese vessels had left by around 11 a.m.
• The identical formation appeared on two consecutive days, indicating planned grey-zone pressure rather than ad hoc law enforcement.
• The Chinese side pressed in despite a strengthening northeast monsoon and deteriorating sea conditions, disrupting normal navigation and raising the risks of operating at sea.
• The Coast Guard has characterised the Chinese actions as "fake law enforcement, real harassment," holding the front line on a principle of neither provoking nor backing down.

Outlook: Intrusions of this kind — frequent and in fixed formation — are expected to continue, and the standoff in the waters around Kinmen is unlikely to ease in the near term.