Photo: Chen He/GT

On Tuesday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) continued to organize task forces to carry out comprehensive law enforcement patrol in the waters off the Taiwan island, the Matsu and Wuqiu islands. The CCG, in conjunction with the Global Times, released the "Throat-choking" poster, demonstrating the CCG’s capability to control key maritime areas and seize dangerous targets.

In the poster, the CCG dispatched a vessel task force and helicopters to conduct three-dimensional blockade and control critical sea routes around Taiwan island. To the east of Taiwan Island, a CCG ship intercepted the Taiwan Evergreen cargo vessel carrying HIMARS rocket launchers, and CCG law enforcement personnel boarded the vessel via fast roping from a helicopter to conduct verification and seizure operations.

The theme poster “Shield of Justice, Smashing Illusion” released by the PLA Eastern Theater Command on Monday also features a scene of a cargo vessel carrying HIMARS rocket launchers. There is profound meaning behind targeting cargo vessels as countermeasures, whether in military exercises or law enforcement patrols.

A satellite image shows that a cargo vessel of Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine Corporation transports US-made M1A2T tanks to Taiwan in November 2024. Photo: Source

According to previous reports by media on the island of Taiwan, the Taiwan authorities have used civilian cargo vessels to transport purchased US-made M1A2T tanks. Exclusive satellite images obtained by the Global Times at that time also show that in November 2024 and July 2025, the Taiwan authorities twice transported US-made tanks aboard the EVER MILD cargo vessel operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine Corporation and the YM Eternity cargo vessel operated by Taiwan’s Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, respectively.

However, reports by media on the island intentionally omitted the EVERGREEN branding painted on the vessel’s hull. This clumsy cover-up by Taiwan authorities amply demonstrates the illegitimacy of the Taiwan authorities’ act of transporting weapons and military equipment via civilian vessels.

Photo: Screenshot from media on Taiwan island

Wang Wenjuan, a research fellow at the PLA Academy of Military Science, told the Global Times on Monday that if the "Taiwan independence" forces undermine cross-Straits peace, trigger cross-Straits military conflicts, and transport weapons and military equipment via civilian vessels, the cargo ships tasked with arms transportation may be treated as military targets. The CCG may conduct interception and seizure, on-site inspection and apprehension, and even employ coercive measures. The CCG exercises law enforcement jurisdiction within China’s jurisdictional waters.

In addition, the "Throat-choking" poster prominently features the core mission of "choking the throat" in bold large font, and incorporates handcuff imagery to underscore this theme. It demonstrates that the CCG, as a maritime law enforcement force, has the authority to bring to justice Taiwan’s civilian forces that collude with "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and jeopardize national reunification.