China has urged relevant countries to respect China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and maritime rights and interests, said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the China Coast Guard (CCG) conducted a law-enforcement patrol in waters east of China's Taiwan Island in response to Japan and the Philippines' unilateral announcement of maritime delimitation talks in the area.
"According to China's domestic law and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in waters east of China's Taiwan island. Chinese authorities' law enforcement and patrol activities in these waters are legitimate actions to exercise China's jurisdiction, safeguard regional stability and uphold order at sea in accordance with the law. These actions are also a necessary response to Japan and the Philippines' manipulation of their delimitation agenda and violation of China's maritime rights and interests. Relevant countries need to respect China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and maritime rights and interests, and stop mischaracterizing facts and truth. Relevant institutions should not make statements unsuited to their identity," said Guo.
"The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are playing deaf to the infringement of Japan and the Philippines and even joining with external forces to vilify the central government's effort to safeguard rights, and peddle their separatist narratives. It once again exposes the DPP authorities' separatist nature and betrayal of the overriding interest of the Chinese nation. What awaits them is contempt from the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the judgment of history," he said.
China urges relevant countries to respect China's territorial sovereignty, maritime rights
