China launches maritime control operation east of Taiwan after Japan-Philippines border talks

The operation

China's Ministry of Transport ordered maritime police from the coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian to conduct a special maritime enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan on Saturday, according to state news agency Xinhua. The operation aims to exercise Beijing's administrative maritime control jurisdiction, strengthen deep-water patrol and traffic control capabilities in key maritime zones, ensure navigation safety, and safeguard national interests. Xinhua provided no details on the operation's scale, duration, or whether it was still ongoing as of Sunday.

Triggering talks

Japan and the Philippines announced last week the launch of official discussions to delimit the maritime boundary of their exclusive economic zones and continental shelf. The announcement followed a recent visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Japan, where the two sides agreed to begin the negotiations. Although Japan and the Philippines do not share a land border, as coastal states they are entitled to establish an EEZ extending 200 nautical miles from their shores, an area that partially overlaps with Taiwan's economic zone.

Japan and the Philippines are attempting to initiate negotiations without China's participation, which contravenes the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other norms of international law.

Beijing's position

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Tuesday that the opening of these talks constituted a serious violation of UNCLOS, other international norms, and the basic principles governing relations between states. Beijing claims it holds rights over an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the region and insists any delimitation process for waters east of Taiwan must include China as a participating party. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, added that any maritime delimitation negotiations in the area would violate China's maritime rights and interests and would lack legal validity.

Taiwan's response

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration announced on Sunday it had deployed vessels to the area to respond appropriately to the Chinese operation, which Taipei said violates international law. The CGA stated it detected four Chinese government vessels — the Haixun 06, Haixun 08, Haixun 09, and Donghaijiu 113 — that departed from the port of Xiamen in Fujian province and navigated outside Taiwan's restricted waters southwest of the island. Taiwan sent more than five ships to assist in surveillance activities. The Chinese vessels were monitored throughout the entire process and were expected to arrive in the relevant waters on Sunday.

China is nothing more than a huge bully.

Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, protested the Chinese manoeuvre on social media, warning of the imminent arrival of a fleet of large vessels that had departed Xiamen heading toward Taiwan's eastern exclusive economic zone. Taiwan had previously asked Tokyo and Manila to be included in the negotiations, which began on 28 May.

Regional tensions

Taiwan's coast guard accused China of using the opening of negotiations between Manila and Tokyo to intensify harassment against the island and create a false impression that it has jurisdiction over the zone, in an attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Multiple territorial disputes pit Tokyo and Beijing against each other in the East China Sea, where coast guard vessels from both countries regularly engage in dangerous confrontations. Beijing has also deployed navy and coast guard ships in the South China Sea to prevent the Philippines from accessing strategically important reefs and islands, leading to a series of clashes.