China has defended its coast guard operations near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, saying its vessels are maintaining order and protecting maritime activities in the disputed waters.
Beijing made the statement on Wednesday amid growing tensions after Taiwan reported that Chinese coast guard vessels had approached the strategically located islands twice since Sunday.
China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan part of its territory, said last week that Taiwan must “bear the consequences” after its coast guard used a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands.
Speaking at a regular news briefing, Zhang Han, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Beijing had “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea islands, including the Pratas and their surrounding waters.
“Mainland coast guard vessels conducting law enforcement patrols in the relevant waters are fulfilling their duties in accordance with the law, safeguarding normal navigation and operational order,” Zhang told reporters.
She added that the Chinese vessels were protecting the rights of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as their lives and property.
Zhang also blamed Taiwan’s ruling party for increasing the risk of conflict, describing its continued opposition to Beijing’s claims as the root cause of the danger of war across the strait.
Taiwan’s government rejects China’s territorial claims, maintaining that only the Taiwanese people have the right to decide the island’s future.
China, meanwhile, does not recognise Taiwan’s claims to sovereignty and has never ruled out using force to bring the island under its control.
Strategic Importance of the Pratas Islands
The Pratas Islands have no permanent civilian population and are located between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Their geographical position makes them strategically significant, while their distance from Taiwan — more than 400 kilometres (250 miles) — has led security experts to view them as vulnerable to a possible Chinese attack.
China’s military already operates around Taiwan almost daily. Taipei has become increasingly concerned about Beijing’s use of coast guard vessels to conduct what it describes as “law enforcement” patrols aimed at asserting jurisdiction over surrounding waters.
Taiwan Warns of More Aggressive Chinese Strategy
Speaking at a forum in Taipei late Tuesday, Chiu Chui-cheng, head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, accused Beijing of attempting to establish control over waters surrounding Taiwan and its offshore islands.
Chiu said China was trying to “domesticate” the Taiwan issue by creating the impression that it exercised actual jurisdiction over the surrounding maritime areas.
With Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to be confirmed for a fourth term in office next year, Chiu said Beijing’s stated goal of achieving national unification was becoming increasingly urgent.
“We assess that Beijing’s Taiwan policy will shift toward a more aggressive, provocative strategy of ‘exercising jurisdiction before achieving unification’,” he said.
The latest developments highlight continuing tensions between Beijing and Taipei over sovereignty, maritime jurisdiction and China’s efforts to assert control over Taiwan and nearby islands.
