US, UK, France, Germany raise alarm about Chinese patrols off eastern Taiwan

The United States, Britain, France and Germany raised the alarm on Wednesday over recent Chinese activities off the east coast of Taiwan where China has mounted Coast Guard patrols, saying they threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation.

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.

“China’s actions are deeply destabilizing,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said regarding reports that Chinese Coast Guard vessels were harassing commercial ships.

“We reject any assertion by China of authority to interfere with freedoms of navigation or overflight, the freedom to lay cables, or other lawful uses of the sea,” the U.S. official said, adding that Beijing was undermining the peaceful resolution of issues that it claims to seek.

The de facto British, French and German embassies in Taipei said in a separate but rare joint statement that the Chinese activity was concerning.

“These actions threaten regional stability and the freedom of navigation and safety of international shipping. We reiterate our opposition to any unilateral change to the status quo, particularly by threat or use of force or coercion,” they said.

“It is fundamental that all navigational rights and freedoms and the safety of seafarers and vessels are guaranteed and respected.”

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S., Britain, France and Germany, like most countries, have no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. But like many Western countries, they have repeatedly voiced concern at Chinese pressure against Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Merchant ships ‘harassed’

Taiwan says the waters off its east coast are not China’s and that Beijing has no right to claim any sort of jurisdiction.

China said the Coast Guard patrol had inspected 198 passing vessels and “rectified violations” involving three ships, carried out a hydrographic survey and patrolled areas where undersea cables are located.

Taiwan has said that three passing merchant ships in the area were “harassed” by the Chinese Coast Guard, which asked them for information about their points of origin and destination and claimed jurisdiction.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing earlier on Wednesday, Zhang Han, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said the waters Japan and the Philippines were seeking to delineate were China’s exclusive economic zone.

She said the patrols were lawful, legitimate and necessary and that they constituted a just action to “safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

美国、英国、法国和德国周三对中国近期在台湾东海岸的活动发出警告，称中国在该地区部署了海警巡逻队，这些活动威胁到地区稳定和航行自由。

中国视民主治理的台湾为其领土的一部分，于6月初派遣海巡船前往台湾东海岸附近海域进行所谓的“特别海上交通执法行动”，激怒了台北。

中国表示，此次行动是对日本和菲律宾宣布将就海上边界问题展开正式会谈的回应，北京方面认为这涉及到台湾附近的中国水域。

中国也已向同一海域派遣了海洋勘测船。

美国国务院发言人就中国海警船骚扰商船的报道表示：“中国的行为具有严重的破坏性。”

“我们拒绝中国任何干涉航行或飞越自由、铺设电缆自由或其他合法海洋用途的主张，”这位美国官员表示，并补充说，北京正在破坏其声称寻求的和平解决问题的途径。

英国、法国和德国驻台北的实际大使馆在一份单独但罕见的联合声明中表示，中国的活动令人担忧。

他们表示：“这些行动威胁到地区稳定、航行自由和国际航运安全。我们重申反对任何单方面改变现状的行为，特别是通过威胁、使用武力或胁迫的方式。”

“所有航行权利和自由以及海员和船舶的安全都必须得到保障和尊重，这一点至关重要。”

中国外交部尚未对此置评。

美国、英国、法国和德国与大多数国家一样，与台湾没有正式外交关系。但与许多西方国家一样，它们多次对中国向台湾施压表示关切，而台湾当局拒绝接受北京的主权声索。

商船遭“骚扰”

台湾方面表示，其东海岸附近的海域不属于中国，北京无权声称拥有任何管辖权。

中国表示，海警巡逻队检查了198艘过往船只，并“纠正”了3艘船只的违规行为，进行了水文调查，并巡逻了海底电缆所在区域。

台湾方面表示，该地区三艘过往商船遭到中国海警“骚扰”，海警要求它们提供出发地和目的地信息，并声称拥有管辖权。

中国国务院台湾事务办公室发言人张翰周三早些时候在北京对记者表示，日本和菲律宾试图划定的水域是中国的专属经济区。

她表示，这些巡逻行动是合法、正当且必要的，是“维护国家主权和海洋权利与利益”的正义行动。