Beijing on Thursday rejected criticism from the United States and three European nations over its recent coastguard operations east of Taiwan, declaring the patrols were lawful and necessary to safeguard its maritime rights and regional order.
The rebuke came a day after the US, Britain, France and Germany expressed concern over the coastguard deployments, saying the activities “threaten regional stability and the freedom of navigation and safety of international shipping”.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun dismissed the accusations, describing Beijing’s actions as a legitimate exercise of jurisdiction.
“The countries concerned should respect China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and maritime rights and interests, and stop blurring right and wrong or distorting the facts,” Guo said.
Earlier this month, Beijing sent a flotilla of coastguard vessels to waters east of Taiwan as part of what it described as a “special maritime traffic law enforcement operation”.
Mainland authorities said the operation was a necessary response to an announcement by Japan and the Philippines late last month that they would begin negotiating maritime boundaries in waters that overlap with Taiwan’s claims.