The U.S. and Taiwan have signed an agreement intended to boost cooperation between their coast guards, in a move to push back at China’s increasingly assertive maritime activities.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes a working group to "improve communications, build cooperation, and share information” on coast guard-related efforts, according to a statement dated Friday from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei.

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang pointed to a law that China passed in January giving its coast guard greater freedom to fire on foreign vessels, when asked about the new agreement signed.