Beijing began regular patrols around the Kinmen after two Chinese citizens died on February 14 trying to escape Taiwanese patrol boats. Six Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taipei tourist vessel carrying 11 crew members and 23 passengers last week to check its route, certificates and crew licenses.
The risk, according to observers, is that the now normalized Chinese presence around Taiwan could create a dangerous sense of complacency in Taipei and Washington, while at the same time giving China operational practice crucial for a possible attack against the island.