Record 244 Chinese Government Ships Spotted Around Taiwan in July

Tracking data showed 244 Chinese government ships in the waters around Taiwan in July 2026, the highest monthly count on record. That averages out to nearly eight ships a day.

The July figure was more than four times the 58 ships recorded in the same month a year earlier. June 2026 had 55, and May had 30.

About 60% are coast guard ships; research ships and other government ships make up the rest. The count leaves out Chinese military warships, which operate around Taiwan on a near-daily basis.

Activity continued in August. The first 21 days brought 152 more ships. Since May 2026, the total has reached 1,247 ships detected around Taiwan and its outer islands.

Researchers say the ships are particularly active east of Taiwan, where the seabed drops into deep Pacific water. Ryan Martinson of the U.S. Naval War College described the deployment as "unprecedented" in scale and said the data gathered is "especially important for anti-submarine warfare and submarine warfare."

Jason Wang, COO of ingeniSPACE, noted the first documented case of a maritime militia ship escorting a research ship in Taiwan's waters, pointing to coordinated operations targeting deep-sea trenches. Analysts describe the broader pattern as an effort by Beijing to assert jurisdiction over Taiwan's surrounding waters.