Taiwan has stepped up enforcement around the disputed Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, seizing Chinese fishing boats outright instead of just chasing them away — a firmer line against Beijing that raises the odds of friction at sea.

• Taiwan's coast guard has seized nine Chinese boats near Pratas this year in eight separate cases, confiscating all of them.
• The policy shifted last year from driving intruders off to detaining them and taking their boats, to make illegal fishing costly.
• A rebuilt pier on Pratas Island was finished in July, and a new 100-ton patrol boat is now stationed there.
• A large patrol ship also works the area full-time, giving Taiwan several layers of coverage far from its main island.
• The stated reason is protecting the coral atoll national park, but the deeper point is holding territory China also claims.

Outlook: Taiwan plans more ships and port work at Pratas, so seizures of Chinese boats will likely keep rising.