Taiwan has rejected China's maritime jurisdiction claims after the Chinese coast guard concluded a patrol east of the island, where it inspected 198 vessels. The patrol was a response to planned maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines. Taiwan's coast guard called the action a violation of its sovereignty, while a Chinese official defended it as a 'just act.' The incident follows reports of Chinese harassment of merchant ships.
Chinese coast guard eastern patrol
- ▪A spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhang Han, defended the patrols as a "just act to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights."
- ▪The Chinese patrol, which ended on a Wednesday, inspected 198 passing vessels and rectified violations involving three ships
- ▪Chinese state media released a map showing arrows encircling Taiwan to illustrate its ships' operations
- ▪During the patrol, Chinese ships also conducted a hydrographic survey and patrolled areas with undersea cables
- ▪Chinese state media announced on a Saturday that ships were sent to conduct a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation" in waters east of Taiwan
Japan-Philippines maritime boundary talks
- ▪China viewed the planned Japan-Philippines maritime boundary talks as involving waters off Taiwan
- ▪China's patrol was a response to an announcement that Japan and the Philippines would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries
Taiwan sovereignty rejection
- ▪Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan's foreign minister, accused China of "using so-called 'law enforcement' as a pretext to pursue expansion."
- ▪Taiwan's coast guard vowed to "forcefully drive away" any vessel asserting jurisdiction in its waters to maintain freedom of navigation
- ▪Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, stated that China has no right to intervene in matters concerning the waters east of Taiwan
- ▪Taiwan's coast guard stated that its maritime sovereignty cannot be "violated" and that China has no jurisdiction in the waters east of Taiwan
Merchant vessel harassment
- ▪Taiwan accused the Chinese coast guard of harassing three merchant ships by demanding information about their origin and destination
- ▪A Taiwan Coast Guard spokesman confirmed some of the merchant ships responded to the Chinese vessels with information like their next port of call
Itu Aba island intrusion
- ▪The Chinese boats remained in the restricted waters near Itu Aba for about 15 minutes, an act Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council called an "escalation of provocations."
- ▪On a Thursday, Chinese "official" boats intruded into restricted waters near Itu Aba, a Taiwan-controlled island in the South China Sea
Cross-strait military tensions
- ▪Taiwan's government maintains that only the island's people can decide their future
- ▪China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and does not recognize its sovereignty
- ▪Chinese warships and warplanes operate around Taiwan on an almost daily basis
- ▪Beijing has rejected offers of dialogue from Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, whom it calls a "separatist."
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