On board the Taiwan Coast Guard Ship PP-10062, East China Sea — Taiwanese coast guard commander Lin Chie-ming is on the frontline of a new type of warfare that China is waging against Taiwan. China’s weapon? Sand. On a chilly morning in late January, Mr. Lin, clad in an orange uniform, stood on the rolling deck of his boat as it patroled in choppy waters off the Taiwan-run Matsu Islands. A few kilometers away, the Chinese coast was faintly visible from Mr. Lin’s boat. He was on the lookout for Chinese sand-dredging ships encroaching on waters controlled by Taiwan.

China's latest weapon against Taiwan: the sand dredger. (2021, February 8). BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.