China Says Offshore Patrol of Taiwan Legal

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - The Chinese government responded to criticism from the United States and a number of European countries against the coast guard ship patrol off the east coast of Taiwan by asserting that the activity was a legitimate action and carried out in accordance with the law.

"Law enforcement and patrols in the waters are legitimate actions to exercise China's jurisdiction, maintain regional stability, and enforce order at sea in accordance with the law," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, Thursday, June 25, reported by ANTARA.

A day earlier, the United States, Britain, France, and Germany expressed concern over Chinese Coast Guard patrols off the east coast of Taiwan. They assessed that the activity threatened regional stability and freedom of navigation.

Guo said China had an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the waters east of Taiwan Island based on domestic law as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

According to Guo, the patrol was also a response to what he called Japan and the Philippines' manipulation and violation of China's maritime rights and interests.

He urged the countries concerned to respect China's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and maritime rights, and to stop statements that he considered to deviate from facts or exceed the authority of the relevant institutions.

Guo also accused Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of ignoring Japanese and Philippine actions and allying with external forces to discredit the Chinese central government and spread separatist narratives.

"This action once again shows the separatist nature of the DPP government and the betrayal of the Chinese nation's core interests," Guo said.

Meanwhile, representatives of Britain, France, and Germany in Taiwan said China's patrols threatened regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the safety of international shipping.

Waters off Taiwan's east coast are a strategic shipping route for oil, gas and other commodities from the Middle East and Europe to ports in China, Japan and South Korea.

Tensions have been rising after China's newest aircraft carrier sailed through the Taiwan Strait this week, just hours after Taiwan began a five-day military exercise to counter a possible attack from China.