ON BOARD THE TAIWAN COAST GUARD SHIP PP-10062 in the East China Sea ¨C Taiwanese Coast Guard commander Lin Chie-ming is on the front line of a new type of warfare that China is waging against Taiwan. China¡¯s weapon? Sand.
On a chilly morning in late January, Lin, clad in an orange uniform, stood on the rolling deck of his boat as it patrolled in choppy waters off the Taiwan-run Matsu Islands. A few kilometers away, the Chinese coast was faintly visible from Lin¡¯s boat. He was on the lookout for Chinese sand-dredging ships encroaching on waters controlled by Taiwan.
The Chinese goal, Taiwanese officials say: pressure Taiwan by tying down the island democracy¡¯s naval defenses and undermining the livelihoods of Matsu residents.
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