TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China claims talks between Japan and the Philippines about maritime borders east of Taiwan are illegal as they did not involve Beijing, the Financial Times reported Friday.
The talks centered on overlapping parts of the exclusive economic zones of Japan and the Philippines. The zones are areas where governments have rights to explore, use, and manage natural resources.
The China Institute for Marine Affairs said the bilateral agreement between Tokyo and Manila for the talks was reached without consulting Beijing and violated international law, according to Financial Times. The institute said the bilateral efforts should stop, and the two countries should start negotiations with China.
After news of the bilateral talks emerged in June, China said it would conduct “special maritime law enforcement operations” east of Taiwan. It was the first time Beijing sent coast guard ships to the area for such type of operations, the Financial Times reported.
China said the coast guard inspected 198 ships in the area, “rectifying” violations by three ships, according to the report. The Chinese vessels also conducted a hydrographic survey and patrolled near undersea cables, the report said. The Chinese actions east of Taiwan were also seen as a rehearsal for a potential blockade of Taiwan as well as disruptive to international shipping lanes.
The Chinese coast guard actions were condemned in a joint statement by the British, German, and French representative offices in Taiwan and by the American Institute in Taiwan as a threat to freedom of navigation.
During the past week, China also issued radio warnings to Japanese research vessels near the Japanese-held Diaoyutai area, disputed islands northeast of Taiwan.
Crisis Group Senior Analyst for Northeast Asia William Yang told the Financial Times China was using its response to the talks as an excuse to expand its coast guard operations east of Taiwan and to strengthen its claims over Taiwan.
