Chinese Coast Guard enforces rights in disputed waters against Japan and the Philippines; experts say there is no overlapping maritime rights area between Japan and the Philippines that can exclude China.

[Global Times - Global Network Report by reporter Fan Wei] On June 1, Jiang Lue, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, announced that on that day, the China Coast Guard Daishan ship fleet conducted law enforcement patrols in the waters east of Taiwan Island in accordance with the law. This is a necessary action taken in response to Japan and the Philippines unilaterally announcing the initiation of boundary negotiations in the waters east of Taiwan Island, which seriously infringes upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. Relevant experts stated in an interview with a Global Times reporter on June 1 that there is no overlapping area of maritime rights between Japan and the Philippines that can exclude China, and China will certainly take necessary measures to safeguard its maritime rights.

“From the perspective of international law, the issue of maritime delimitation between Japan and the Philippines concerning Taiwan Island mainly involves the delimitation of exclusive economic zones and continental shelf boundaries.” Ding Duo, director of the Regional Country Studies Institute at the South China Sea Research Institute, stated in an interview with a Global Times reporter that the so-called "boundary negotiations" between Japan and the Philippines are extremely absurd.

The law enforcement patrol action conducted by the China Coast Guard in the waters east of Taiwan Island is not only a legitimate act to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights but also a just act to uphold international law and international rules. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning recently stated that according to Chinese domestic law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, China has exclusive economic zones and continental shelves in these waters. The unilateral initiation of so-called "maritime boundary" negotiations by Japan and the Philippines seriously infringes upon China's maritime rights and severely violates international law and the basic principles of international relations, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“The southern tip of Taiwan Island is only about 80 to 140 kilometers from the Batan Islands, and the eastern and northeastern sides are about 70 to 120 kilometers from Japan's Yaeyama Islands.” Ding Duo believes that this geographical reality means there is no overlapping area of maritime rights between Japan and the Philippines that can exclude China, and any boundary negotiations must first confront this unavoidable geographical fact regarding China.

Regarding the serious violation of international law and the basic principles of international relations represented by the negotiations initiated unilaterally by Japan and the Philippines, Ding Duo analyzed that this action by Japan and the Philippines has the purpose of "private agreements" to distribute maritime rights, as well as the aim of using maritime delimitation as a means to squeeze China's maritime activity space on the so-called "strategic security" issues. “In addition, they also aim to involve the Taiwan issue, intending to bind the delimitation issue with the Taiwan issue and security issues, thereby restraining China.”

The proposed delimitation area announced by Japan and the Philippines is located east of Taiwan Island. According to Chinese domestic law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, China has exclusive economic zones and continental shelves in these waters. However, in recent years, Japan has unilaterally claimed that a reef in this area—Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands)—is a so-called "island," and based on this tiny reef, it attempts to illegally claim jurisdiction over nearly 700,000 square kilometers of maritime area. Ding Duo believes that the unilateral initiation of the so-called "maritime boundary" negotiations by Japan and the Philippines may also involve issues related to Japan's claimed exclusive economic zone, continental shelf, and outer continental shelf concerning the Senkaku Islands.

“Japan may want to use this to solidify its illegal claims, but whether the Philippines will recognize Japan's claimed exclusive economic zone and continental shelf based on the Senkaku Islands remains to be seen.” He further stated that, in any case, the unilateral initiation of maritime boundary negotiations by Japan and the Philippines is intended to infringe upon China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction in these waters, which seriously violates international law. “In this context, any results of the delimitation negotiations would be invalid, and China will certainly take necessary measures to safeguard its maritime rights.”

According to previous reports, the China Coast Guard began patrols in the Diaoyu Islands waters in 2012, when Japan staged an illegal "purchase of Diaoyu Islands" farce, which seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty. The China Coast Guard then conducted law enforcement patrols to assert sovereignty and has maintained a regular presence in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands. Similarly, in 2013, the Philippines unilaterally initiated illegal arbitration in the South China Sea, prompting the China Coast Guard to strengthen its law enforcement patrols in the reefs of the South China Sea. Nowadays, China Coast Guard vessels maintain a regular presence around China's Huangyan Island, Ren'ai Reef, Xianbin Reef, and nearby waters.

On June 1, Jiang Lue, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, also stated that we urge Japan and the Philippines to immediately stop all illegal actions that infringe upon China's sovereign rights and interests, and the China Coast Guard will continue to strengthen control over the relevant waters to resolutely safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights through practical actions.