China And Taiwan Dispute Legality of Coast Guard Patrols East of Island

Taiwan accused China of harassing merchant vessels as both sides disputed the legality of coast guard patrols.

China and Taiwan clashed on Wednesday over the legality of Chinese coast guard patrols in waters east of the island, after Taipei accused Beijing of harassing commercial vessels operating near its waters.

The dispute follows China’s decision to deploy coast guard ships for what it described as a special maritime law-enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan.

Chinese state media reported that the operation was launched in response to an announcement by Japan and the Philippines that they would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries, a move Beijing views as involving waters off Taiwan.

Taiwanese authorities said Chinese vessels involved in the patrols had recently approached merchant ships, requesting information about their points of origin and destination while claiming jurisdiction in the area.

Speaking in Beijing, Zhang Han, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, defended the patrols, describing them as legitimate actions aimed at safeguarding China’s sovereignty and maritime rights.

“The relevant mainland authorities’ law-enforcement patrols in the relevant waters are a just act to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Zhang said.

She added that the Chinese coast guard was conducting the patrols in accordance with the law and would continue to strengthen its control over the waters east of Taiwan.

Taiwan’s government, which rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, strongly criticised the operation.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung accused China of using law enforcement as a pretext to pursue territorial expansion and insisted that Beijing had no authority to interfere in matters concerning waters under Taiwan’s sovereignty or jurisdiction.

“The Chinese communists have no right to intervene in matters concerning the waters east of Taiwan, whether they involve Taiwan’s sovereignty or jurisdiction,” Lin told reporters in Taipei.

He further described China as a “problem-maker” whose actions were undermining stability in the region.

At a separate event, Taiwan’s Cabinet Secretary-General Xavier Chang said China’s actions endangered Taiwan’s sovereignty and violated international laws and conventions.

“We will not yield an inch of our blue maritime territory,” Chang said.

The latest dispute comes amid growing tensions around the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern South China Sea, where Taipei has complained about increased activity by Chinese coast guard vessels in recent weeks.

China maintains that it has sovereignty over the Pratas Islands and insists its patrols there are lawful.

Zhang warned Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party against provoking Beijing, saying it would bear responsibility for any consequences arising from such actions.

She added that Taiwan would be more secure following what China describes as peaceful reunification, arguing that people on the island would be able to live in a more stable and peaceful environment.

The exchange highlights continuing tensions between Beijing and Taipei as both sides remain at odds over sovereignty claims and control of surrounding waters.