MOFA Condemns Chinese Government Vessels' Intrusion into Taiping Island Waters, Calls for International Joint Response

According to Central News Agency (CNA), Taipei, June 12 — Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today strongly condemned the first-ever intrusion of Chinese government vessels into the waters surrounding Taiping Island yesterday. MOFA stated that China's actions seriously violate international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), constituting a blatant challenge to the international order, and called on the international community to jointly counter such illegal acts.

The Coast Guard Administration under the Ocean Affairs Council reported that two Chinese government vessels yesterday entered the prohibited waters around Taiping Island for the first time, remaining for approximately 15 minutes. This marks the first known instance of Chinese government vessels entering the restricted zone, seen as a provocation against Taiwan's sovereignty.

In an afternoon press release, MOFA pointed out that the two Chinese government vessels openly intruded into Taiping Island's waters yesterday morning. This follows recent incidents in which Chinese vessels illegally harassed a cargo ship freely navigating in eastern Taiwan waters, indicating a malicious escalation of China's gray-zone tactics. MOFA warned that this series of provocations poses a serious threat to Taiwan's sovereignty, maritime security, and regional peace.

MOFA emphasized that China's unreasonable actions seriously violate international law, particularly UNCLOS, and constitute a direct challenge to the international order. It strongly condemned China's illegal acts, which undermine Taiwan's sovereignty, destabilize regional peace, and challenge global norms.

MOFA reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and that the South China Sea islands belong to the territory of the Republic of China. Taiwan enjoys rights over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters under international and maritime law—rights that are indisputable and non-negotiable. The intrusion of Chinese government vessels into Taiping Island's waters not only severely infringes upon Taiwan's sovereignty but also endangers the safety of Taiwan's naval vessels and personnel.

MOFA stated that China's malicious provocations and barbaric actions seriously violate UNCLOS and international maritime safety regulations, openly challenging the international order and undermining regional peace, security, and stability.

MOFA once again urged the international community to recognize the immediate and serious threats posed by China's illegal actions to regional stability and to jointly resist such behavior. Taiwan remains a force for peace and stability in the South China Sea, and the government will continue to safeguard maritime security and seek support from like-minded countries to jointly uphold security in the Indo-Pacific region. (Edited by Chloe Tze-Chia Chai)