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On June 13, the Chinese Communist Party claimed sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait, denying US and Taiwan claims that its strategic channel was on the high seas.
Beijing’s statement was immediately rejected by the United States and Taiwan.
The Taiwan Strait separates the island of Taiwan, the only remaining territory of the Republic of China (1911-present), from mainland China, which was occupied by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949. The strait was considered part of the international waters and therefore passed through the strait.
In a regular news briefing in Beijing on Monday, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the administration’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “China will respect the legitimate rights of other countries in the relevant waters, while against the Taiwan Strait. We enjoy sovereignty and jurisdiction. “
He emphasized Beijing’s position that Taiwan is an integral part of China, adding: Sovereignty of China. “
The Wang also quoted the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and domestic law, claiming that the Taiwan Strait is within China’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
The United States has not signed UNCLOS.
U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price Refuted Beijing’s claim June 14, “The Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, meaning that the Taiwan Strait is an area where freedom of the seas, including freedom of navigation and freedom of flight, is guaranteed under international law.” Said.
He reiterated US concerns about China’s “active, rhetorical and compulsory activity on Taiwan,” and the United States “flights, voyages, and activities, including passing through the Taiwan Strait, as international law allows.” To continue. “
Taiwan’s Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang said on June 15 that the strait “does not mean the inland sea of China.”
“China’s ambition to swallow Taiwan never stops or is hidden. The Taiwan Strait is a sea area for free international voyages,” he said.
In a written statement on June 14, China’s mainland affairs council said China’s allegations were an attempt to “internalize Taiwan and internalize the strait,” a violation of international law. “This is a provocative move that undermines the status quo of the entire Taiwan Strait and further exacerbates regional tensions, which we and the international community have not recognized or accepted.”
“The Taiwan Strait is an important international waterway, and Taiwan will not accept China’s claim,” said Alexander Huang, international director of the opposition National Party and associate professor at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Awae University. ..
Japan’s sea shipping relies heavily on the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Regarding China’s claim, a Japanese government spokesman said on June 14 that “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is very important not only for Japan but also for the international community.”
Beijing’s recent allegations contradict a previous statement by the administration’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2017 that “the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway shared by the mainland and Taiwan.”
The latest provocative rhetoric from the administration follows the second largest invasion of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on May 30, this year.
US President Joe Biden said on May 23 that if Taiwan is attacked by CCP forces, the US will intervene militarily to protect Taiwan.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Alex Wu is a US-based writer of The Epoch Times, focusing on Chinese society, Chinese culture, human rights and international affairs.
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