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Research highlights at least a dozen Chinese oil and gas vessels and structures in Taiwan’s EEZ. Some have been present for years.
Analysts interpret the footprint as deliberate “salami slicing,” compressing Taiwan’s operating space without open confrontation.
Taiwan’s legal standing and maritime bandwidth limit options. That reality may explain the lack of high-profile pushback.
Observers fear that acceptance—explicit or not—will entrench the presence and embolden expansion.