“Taiwan condemns violence, opposes attempts to alter the status quo by force, and calls for peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for international maritime law,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its official X account. .
These statements refer to an incident that occurred this Monday in waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Atollclaimed by the two countries, during which the Philippine Army accused the Chinese coast guard of seriously injuring one of its sailors, “deliberately piercing” its inflatable boats and “looting” its weapons.
This morning the Philippine Army released videos and photographs showing how Chinese coast guard surrounds Philippine supply ships and they wield sharp objects to pierce their boats and intimidate the Filipino sailors, who were carrying out supply tasks around the aforementioned atoll.
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The Philippines maintains a handful of troops stationed on a ship stranded on that atoll since 1999, the Sierra Madre, which China condemns.
In a separate statement, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs He noted that freedom of navigation in the South China Sea “is crucial for the peace and stability of the region,” and underlined his opposition to “the increasing gray zone actions and military coercion” carried out by China in this area. .
“Our country will continue to cooperate with regional allies and like-minded nations to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” said the island’s Foreign Ministry.
Chinese coast guard activity in Taiwan
In recent months, Taiwan has denounced the increasing activity of the Chinese coast guard in its peripheral archipelagos, especially around the Kinmen Islandslocated a few kilometers from the coasts of China.
According to Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA), between February and May Chinese Coast Guard vessels invaded the “prohibited and restricted waters” around the Kinmen an average of five times a month, claiming they have the right to patrol this water. zone.
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In a press conference, the deputy director general of the CGA, Hsieh Ching-chinassured this Wednesday that the new regulation implemented last Saturday by China, which allows its coast guard to board and detain vessels in waters it claims, “will not affect the application of the law” by the Taiwanese Coast Guard.
The official stressed that the CGA will “vigorously” defend the rights and interests of Taiwan’s fishing vessels, as well as “national sovereignty” and “maritime security.”
