BEIJING: China on Thursday urged the relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and maritime rights and stop mischaracterizing truth and facts over China’s legitimate maritime law enforcement operations in waters east of Taiwan island.
Relevant institutions should not make statements unsuited to their identity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing on Thursday.
He made the remarks in response to “concerns” expressed by the US, UK, France and Germany that recent Chinese activities off Taiwan’s east coast, where China has deployed Coast Guard patrols, threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the safety of international shipping.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, which Reuters dubbed a “rare” one, three representative offices of the UK, France and Germany in Taipei claimed that they “have noted with concern” China’s activities, which “threaten regional stability and the freedom of navigation and safety of international shipping.” Following the statements by the three representative offices, a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) also expressed concern, per Taiwan-based media.
The statement and remarks did not specify which Chinese activities they refer to. Nevertheless, international and Taiwan-based media have identified them as the law enforcement patrol carried out by China Coast Guard (CCG) in waters east of Taiwan island on June 1 in response to the unilateral announcement of maritime delimitation talks by Japan and the Philippines in the area.
Prior to this, spokespersons for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council have stated that the so-called maritime delimitation talks by Japan and the Philippines seriously infringe upon China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and the patrol was a necessary action taken against it.
At Thursday’s press conference, Guo reiterated that according to China’s domestic law and international law including UNCLOS, China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in waters east of China’s Taiwan island.
Chinese authorities’ law enforcement and patrol activities in these waters are legitimate actions to exercise China’s jurisdiction, safeguard regional stability and uphold order at sea in accordance with the law. These actions are also a necessary response to Japan and the Philippines’ manipulation of their delimitation agenda and violation of China’s maritime rights and interests, Guo said.
A Beijing-based European affairs expert told the Global Times on condition of anonymity on Thursday that representative offices of the US, UK, France and Germany in Taipei deliberately evade the full context and disregard the legitimacy of China’s efforts to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. Their accusations against China are completely groundless, and the relevant countries should stop making unwarranted remarks about China’s internal affairs. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
