TAIPEI, June 25 (Reuters) – Taiwan expressed its thanks after the U.S., Britain, France and Germany raised the alarm about the Chinese Coast Guard and other activities off the island’s east coast, with the government saying freedom of navigation was essential to global trade.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, sent Coast Guard ships earlier in June into the waters off the island’s east coast for what it called a “special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation,” angering Taipei.
China said the operation was in response to an announcement by Japan and the Philippines that they would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries, which Beijing viewed as involving Chinese waters off Taiwan.
China has also been sending maritime survey ships into the same waters.
Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, wrote on X late on Wednesday he was “truly thankful” for the statements from the four countries.
“A rules-based int’l order, the StatusQuo, & regional peace & stability are what we all care about. The PRC should stop its maritime expansionism,” he wrote, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
China’s foreign ministry has yet to comment on the statements. China recognises no claims of sovereignty by Taiwan and considers the island and the waters around it to be its own territory.
In a separate statement, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the island’s Coast Guard, said freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the Taiwan Strait and the waters surrounding Taiwan are essential to global trade.
“China’s maritime harassment of Taiwan, and the political pressure that follows, not only violate international law but also harm the shared interests of the international community. They must be promptly contained and collectively rejected,” it added.
Taiwan will continue to stand together with its friends and “responsibly and jointly defend the international order in surrounding waters through lawful, appropriate, and firm measures”, the council said.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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