TAIPEI - Taiwan has declared it will not tolerate Chinese efforts to create a false impression of jurisdiction over its waters, with the island's coast guard vowing to "expel" any challengers after China concluded a patrol off Taiwan's eastern shores.
China's Patrol and Response
China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, was angered by recent announcements from Japan and the Philippines regarding formal talks on their maritime boundaries, viewing this as involving waters off Taiwan. In response, Chinese state media reported on Saturday that ships were dispatched for a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation" to inspect shipping in waters east of Taiwan. The patrol ended on Wednesday, having "inspected 198 passing vessels and rectified violations involving three ships," conducted a hydrographic survey, and patrolled areas with undersea cables.
Taiwan's Firm Stance
Taiwan's coast guard asserted that Beijing has no jurisdiction in those waters. "Whenever Chinese ships appear, Taiwan's own vessels will forcefully drive them away and maintain the freedom and safety of navigation," the coast guard stated. "Our nation's maritime sovereignty cannot be violated. Any country that asserts jurisdiction will be expelled without exception."
Incidents and Statements
Chinese state media released a map showing arrows encircling Taiwan, indicating the patrol's operational area. Taiwan reported that three passing merchant ships were "harassed" by the Chinese coast guard, which demanded information about their origin and destination while claiming jurisdiction. Taiwan Coast Guard spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin confirmed that some ships responded with details like their next port of call. "China has no sovereign rights whatsoever in the waters east of Taiwan," Hsieh emphasized. "Our Coast Guard Administration will, regardless of nationality, expel without exception any vessel involved in asserting jurisdiction, in order to defend our sovereignty."
