China launches maritime law enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan island

China launched a special maritime law enforcement operation in the waters east of Taiwan island on Saturday. It is a necessary move in response to Japan and the Philippines' unilateral announcement of the so-called "maritime delimitation talks" on the east of China's Taiwan island, which constitutes a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. The operation, launched by China's Ministry of Transport, in coordination with the Fujian and Guangdong maritime safety administrations, the East China Sea Navigation Support Center, and the East China Sea Rescue Bureau, aims to fully exercise China's maritime administrative law enforcement jurisdiction, enhance deep-sea cruise enforcement and traffic control capabilities in key waters, ensure maritime traffic safety, and safeguard national rights and interests, Xinhua reported. During the Philippine President's recent visit to Japan, the two countries issued a joint statement announcing the start of talks on the delimitation of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf between Japan and the Philippines. The area the two countries announced they will delimit is east of China's Taiwan island. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that Japan and the Philippines' attempt to bypass China and initiate the so-called "maritime delimitation talks" constitutes a severe violation of UNCLOS and other international laws and basic norms governing international relations. It also seriously infringes on China's maritime rights and interests and China will not allow this, she continued. "According to China’s domestic law and international law including UNCLOS, China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in this area. As per UNCLOS, the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between States with opposite or adjacent coasts shall be effected by the States concerned by agreement on the basis of equity. Any delimitation concerning waters to the east of Taiwan must have China as a party to the talks," Mao stated. At a press conference of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said the waters slated for "delimitation" by Japan and the Philippines lie east of China's Taiwan island. Their proposed so-called "delimitation negotiations" gravely infringe on China's maritime rights and interests, run counter to international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and are entirely illegal, null and void. Zhu noted that compatriots across the Taiwan Straits belong to the Chinese nation. They must uphold their national stance, stand for the fundamental interests of the nation, and jointly safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the overall interests of the Chinese nation. Should the DPP authorities collude with external forces to betray national interests, they will surely be spurned by compatriots on both sides of the Straits and punished by history, the spokesperson said.