TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s maritime operations east of Taiwan are drawing pushback from Taipei and Western governments, which warn the activities risk escalation and threaten freedom of navigation, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday.
The controversy came after Japan and the Philippines announced plans to begin negotiations on delimiting their exclusive economic zones and continental shelf boundaries. China, which has overlapping maritime claims with both countries, opposed the move and launched what it called a “special maritime traffic law enforcement operation” in waters east of Taiwan.
Beijing has defended the operations. A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the actions were “entirely justified,” arguing that China holds rights in the disputed waters and accusing Taiwan’s government of ignoring the issue.
Taiwanese officials rejected that position. Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Sung Chen-en (宋承恩) said China is using the Japan-Philippines talks as a pretext to expand its presence in waters east of Taiwan and increase pressure on regional shipping routes.
Sung said Chinese vessels had interfered with at least three commercial ships during the operation, questioning their routes and cargo. He said the pattern resembles Beijing’s gray zone tactics in the East and South China seas.
Sung warned that China is extending those tactics to waters east of Taiwan for the first time, adding coast guard and other maritime forces to what he described as coordinated pressure operations. He said the aim is to normalize Chinese presence in areas Taiwan administers.
“We reject China’s position categorically,” Sung said. “Beijing has no rights in the waters to the east of Taiwan.”
The US also criticized China’s actions. The American Institute in Taiwan said it rejects any attempt by Beijing to interfere with freedom of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea.
AIT added that China’s assertion of authority over waters Taiwan has administered for decades undermines stability and runs counter to its stated goal of peaceful resolution. It urged Beijing to engage in dialogue with Taiwan’s elected government.
European diplomatic missions in Taipei, including those of the UK, France, and Germany, issued a joint statement saying the operations threaten regional stability and maritime safety, including international shipping routes.
Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow David Sacks said China is expanding its operations in waters east of Taiwan to counter potential US and Japanese intervention, per Nikkei Asia. “China wants to be able to complicate or even defeat such an operation and is using its peacetime operations and presence to develop that capability,” he said.
