US, UK, France, Germany raise alarm about Chinese patrols off eastern Taiwan
Written by: Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina
TAIPEI/WASHINGTON June 24 (Reuters) – The United States, Britain, France and Germany raised alarm on Wednesday over China’s recent activities off Taiwan’s east coast, where it has deployed Coast Guard patrols, saying it threatens regional stability and freedom of navigation.
China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan its territory, sent Coast Guard ships into waters off the island’s east coast in early June for what it called a “special maritime traffic law enforcement operation” that angered Taipei.
China said the operation was in response to Japan and the Philippines’ announcement that they would begin formal negotiations on their maritime borders. Beijing considered this to include Chinese waters off Taiwan.
China is also sending marine research ships to the same waters.
“China’s actions are deeply destabilizing,” a U.S. State Department spokesman said regarding reports that Chinese Coast Guard vessels were harassing commercial vessels.
“We reject China’s assertion that it has the authority to interfere with freedoms of navigation or overflight, freedom to lay cables, or other lawful uses of the sea,” the US official said, adding that Beijing was undermining the peaceful resolution of the problems it claims to seek.
The de facto British, French and German embassies in Taipei said in a separate but rare joint statement that China’s activity was concerning.
“These actions threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation and the security of international shipping. We reiterate our opposition to any unilateral change of the status quo, especially through threats or use of force or pressure,” they said.
“It is essential that all navigational rights and freedoms, as well as the safety of sailors and ships, are guaranteed and respected.”
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Like most countries, the US, UK, France and Germany do not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan. But like many Western countries, they have repeatedly expressed concern about Chinese pressure on Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s claims to sovereignty.
COMMERCIAL SHIPS WERE ‘Harassed’
Taiwan says the waters off its east coast do not belong to China and that Beijing has no right to assert any jurisdiction.
China said its Coast Guard patrol inspected 198 passing ships and “corrected violations” involving three ships, conducted a hydrographic survey and patrolled areas where submarine cables were located.
Taiwan said three merchant ships passing through the area were “harassed” by the Chinese Coast Guard, which asked them for information about their origin and destination and requested jurisdiction.
Zhang Han, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters in Beijing early Wednesday that the waters Japan and the Philippines are trying to define are China’s exclusive economic zone.
He said the patrols were legal, legitimate and necessary and that they constituted a fair act to “protect national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests”.
(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Michael Martina in Washington; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Milla Nissi-Prussak, David Dolan, Rod Nickel)
