Taiwan says China Coast Guard patrols to its east are ‘provocative act’

By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI, June 8 (Reuters) – Chinese Coast Guard patrols to the east of Taiwan are a “provocative act” and the military will closely coordinate with the island’s Coast Guard in responding, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Monday.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, was angered after Japan and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on delimiting their maritime boundaries, viewing that as involving waters off Taiwan. Delimitation is the process of legally establishing the outer limits of a state.

Late on Saturday, Chinese state media said ships had been sent to carry out a “special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation” in the waters east of Taiwan in response to the Japanese and Philippine announcement.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard sent its own ships to warn away the Chinese ones and said on Sunday they had been “expelled” from restricted waters.

“First this is a provocative act, and second it is cognitive warfare,” Koo said in parliament.

“They are attempting to first claim the eastern waters as their domain, like casting a large spider’s web over the area,” he added. “This is a serious affront to our national sovereignty.”

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China recognises no claims of Taiwanese sovereignty.

Koo said the military will maintain coordination with the Coast Guard, with close and continuous intelligence sharing.

“We will also carry out a very thorough and detailed division of responsibilities with them and at all times act in accordance with resource agreements to safeguard our national sovereignty and maritime security,” he added.

‘ESCALATING PROVOCATIONS’

On Sunday, Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard, wrote on her Facebook page that since early May, China had launched a month-long campaign of “escalating provocations.”

That includes operations around the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top of the South China Sea and sending a research ship into waters near Taiwan, she said.

“The ocean should be an ocean of peace, not an ocean of conflict and threats,” Kuan added.

Taiwan’s Navy generally only shadows and warns Chinese Navy ships, while the Coast Guard, which would have an auxiliary role helping the Navy in times of war, has responsibility for monitoring Chinese Coast Guard ships.

Chinese warplanes and warships already operate around Taiwan on an almost daily basis.

Taiwan is also monitoring an extended mission by the Chinese aircraft carrier, called the Liaoning, in the Western Pacific. Koo said it was currently in seas to the east of the Philippines.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)