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Taiwan has strongly criticised China's latest maritime enforcement operation east of the island, accusing Beijing of attempting to expand its jurisdictional reach and destabilise security in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) condemned the move as an unlawful assertion of authority in waters where China has no legal enforcement rights, as reported by The Taipei Times.
According to The Taipei Times, the controversy emerged after China's Ministry of Transport announced a "special maritime law enforcement operation" in waters east of Taiwan. Xinhua news agency described the deployment of coast guard vessels as a response to planned maritime boundary negotiations between Japan and the Philippines. Beijing claimed the talks infringed upon what it considers its territorial and maritime interests. Responding to the announcement, MOFA spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei rejected China's position, stating that Beijing has no legal basis to exercise law enforcement powers in the waters east of Taiwan. He accused China of exploiting the prospect of Japan-Philippines maritime discussions as a pretext to normalise patrols and expand its presence in the region. Hsiao described the operation as a direct challenge to regional stability and the international rules-based order. Taiwan also addressed concerns regarding potential negotiations between Japan and the Philippines over the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves. Hsiao emphasised that under international law, including the principles set out in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, agreements between two countries cannot affect the rights of third parties. He noted that Japan has repeatedly assured Taipei that any future agreement with Manila would not undermine Taiwan's interests. Taiwan further urged both Japan and the Philippines to take into account overlapping Taiwanese claims during any negotiations and to maintain communication with Taipei. The foreign ministry stated that existing fisheries and maritime cooperation agreements with both countries remain in force, as highlighted by The Taipei Times. The ministry also called on the international community to closely monitor China's growing activities around Taiwan and support efforts to preserve a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific region, as reported by The Taipei Times. (ANI)
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