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China Sends Coast Guard Ships Near Taiwan After Japan-Philippines Talks
China dispatched two coast guard vessels to waters east of Taiwan on Monday in response to planned maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines. Taiwan officials said they were monitoring the ships and rejected Beijing's claims.
Jun 1, 7:20 AM·1m read1 source
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China sent two coast guard cutters to waters east of Taiwan on Monday after Japan and the Philippines announced plans to negotiate a formal maritime boundary. A Chinese statement described the patrol as a necessary operation to protect territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
The statement linked the move to the upcoming talks, which aim to define exclusive economic zones in the Philippine Sea without Beijing's participation.
The Chinese vessels identified were the 5,000-ton cutter Daishan and the 3,800-ton cutter Baita. Taiwan coast guard officials said a 600-ton patrol vessel, the Changbin, was tracking the pair. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry welcomed the Japanese-Philippine talks and rejected China's sovereignty claims over the area.
China maintains a nine-dash line claim that includes Taiwan and most of the South China Sea, overlapping with zones claimed by Japan, the Philippines, and five other regional governments. The Chinese coast guard is the world's largest and regularly conducts patrols to assert these claims.
