China is responding to closer cooperation between the Philippines and Japan by expanding its presence east of Taiwan in an apparent bid to establish jurisdiction over waters in the Philippine Sea, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. The “unprecedented” Chinese operations — including sustained law-enforcement patrols, surveys near Taiwan and questioning nearly 200 commercial vessels — followed a May agreement between Japan and the Philippines to negotiate a maritime boundary, according to the research group that monitors maritime security issues in Asia. The activity could also help normalize a Chinese presence around Taiwan and is stoking concerns that Beijing is testing tactics relevant to a future quarantine or blockade, AMTI said. “The scale and character of China’s response suggest that these operations are not just about sending a signal to Tokyo and Manila,” the Washington-based policy program said in a report released Wednesday. AMTI said Beijing may be trying to alter the status quo by establishing a semi-permanent presence east of Taiwan and asserting authority there.

Full report : China Tests a New Maritime Presence East of Taiwan.