Beijing on June 25 said it is conducting law-enforcement patrols in waters east
of Taiwan, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular briefing.
Citing Chinese domestic law and UNCLOS, he said China has an EEZ and continental
shelf east of Taiwan and that the patrols are a lawful exercise of jurisdiction
to safeguard regional stability and maritime order. The ministry framed the
patrols as responses to what it described as Japan’s and the Philippines’
manipulation of maritime delimitation that infringes China’s maritime rights,
and urged those countries to respect China’s sovereignty and stop actions or
statements that could escalate tensions. It also criticised Taiwan’s ruling
Democratic Progressive Party for aligning with external forces and attacking
Beijing’s rights-defence measures.
