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China Announces Routine Maritime Surveys East of Taiwan
China's Ministry of Natural Resources said it will conduct regular surveys in waters east of Taiwan. The move follows recent vessel activity near the Pratas Islands and defense talks between Japan and the Philippines.
The IndependentAudio version
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China's Ministry of Natural Resources announced it will routinely carry out maritime surveys in the waters east of Taiwan. The ministry stated that regular surveys would help with territorial planning, development and protection, and could cover natural resources exploration, aquaculture, and building underwater infrastructure of cables, pipes and tunnels.
The ministry carried out a three-day marine environmental survey in the waters east of Taiwan using the research vessel Xiangyanghong 22.
The survey collected data on seawater environmental DNA, birds, whales and dolphins, marine chemistry, hydrology, and meteorology, CGTN reported. Taiwan's coast guard stated that a Chinese coast guard ship approached the Pratas Islands on 5 June and a Chinese oceanographic survey vessel approached the islands on 6 June.
" Taiwanese officials located a Chinese coast guard ship and a survey ship in the waters around the Pratas Islands earlier this month.
The Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands are a national park located toward the northern end of the South China Sea and are more than 400 km (250 miles) from Taiwan island. Japan and the Philippines held talks for defence cooperation to outline their exclusive economic zones and continental shelf boundaries east of Taiwan.
" China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has stated it does not rule out capturing the island by force.
