"Chances are the harassment by Chinese Coast Guard assets will be more serious than that of Chinese military planes," Su Tzu-yun, a senior analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, at the forum, was quoted as  saying by Focus Taiwan.

That's because "Coast Guard ships operate with more flexibility due to their supposed civilian nature" and can carry out "gray zone" tactics, which refer to moves by a state to achieve its objectives but that are less likely to cause a military conflict, Su warned.

Although Coast Guard units of every country may use weapons when enforcing laws, the problem with China's Coast Guard Law lies in the extent to which it allows the use of force, Su said.

Taiwan sees itself as an independent nation.

However, China considers it as a breakaway region.