Taiwan says its sovereignty cannot be "violated" after China ends coast guard patrol

Taiwan's maritime sovereignty cannot be "violated" by Chinese attempts to create a false impression of jurisdiction, the island's coast guard said after China ended a patrol off its eastern shores.

China, which considers democratically-ruled Taiwan its territory, was angered after Japan and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries, which Beijing sees as an issue involving waters off Taiwan.

Late Saturday, Chinese state media reported that the ships were sent to conduct a "special maritime traffic law enforcement operation" and control ships in waters east of Taiwan, in response to the announcement by Japan and the Philippines.

Late Wednesday, Chinese state media announced that the patrol had concluded, having "inspected 198 passing vessels and eliminated irregularities involving three ships," conducted a hydrographic survey and patrolled areas where undersea cables are located.

Taiwan's coast guard said Beijing has no jurisdiction in those waters and that whenever Chinese ships appear, Taiwanese vessels will "resolutely drive them away and maintain freedom and safety of navigation."

"Our country's maritime sovereignty cannot be violated," Taiwan's coast guard said in a statement. "Any country that claims jurisdiction will be expelled without exception."

Chinese state media released an image of a basic map of its ships' operations, showing arrows encircling Taiwan.

Merchant ships "harassed" by China

Taiwan said this week that the Chinese coast guard had “harassed” three merchant ships passing through the area, demanding information about their point of departure and destination and claiming jurisdiction.

Taiwan Coast Guard spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin told reporters on Thursday that some of those ships responded to Chinese vessels with information such as their next port of call.

China "has no sovereign rights in the waters east of Taiwan," he added.

"Our Coast Guard Administration will, regardless of nationality, expel any vessel that engages in a jurisdictional claim without exception, to defend our sovereignty," Hsieh said.

Separately, Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the coast guard, said Chinese "official" ships had entered forbidden waters near Itu Abe, a Taiwan-controlled island deep in the South China Sea, on Thursday.

In a post on Network X, the Council said the ships had only been in restricted waters for about 15 minutes before they left, adding that it represented a “continuous escalation of provocations.”

It was not stated how many ships were involved or whether they belonged to the Coast Guard.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China does not recognize any form of sovereignty claimed by Taiwan, and Chinese warships and military aircraft operate around the island almost daily.

Taiwan's government says only the island's people can decide their future, and President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly offered talks with China. Beijing has rejected Lai, calling him a "separatist."