China deploys record number of ships near Taiwan

China deployed a record number of coast guard, scientific research and other ships near Taiwan’s waters last month, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said, as Beijing dials up pressure on Taipei.The coast guard warned of an increasingly severe situation, as analysts say the increased activity is part of China’s bid to map the region for submarine warfare.The number of Chinese ships detected around Taiwan proper soared to a record 244 last month — an average of nearly eight every day, official data showed. A Coast Guard Administration vessel, right, sails near a China Coast Guard ship in waters south of Kinmen in a photograph released on July 8. Photo: Coast Guard Administration via AFP That compares with 55 ships detected in June and 30 in May, and 58 in July last year.In the first 21 d