By Lewis Jackson and Ben Blanchard
BEIJING/TAIPEI, July 4 (Reuters) – On Saturday, China announced that it had started a new coast guard patrol east of Taiwan. This comes after a task force was sent to the area, provoking strong reactions from Taipei and concern among some Western nations.
China's Coast Guard stated that the fleet would carry out “law enforcement patrols” in what China claims as its jurisdictional waters and plans to increase such patrols in the region.
In response, Taiwan's Coast Guard confirmed that it had sent out monitoring ships and would take “all necessary measures to forcefully expel Chinese vessels that disturb our waters.”
This marks the second time in about a month that China has sent Coast Guard vessels near Taiwan's east coast, heightening tensions in a situation that also involves the U.S., France, Germany, and Britain.
The first operation in June was triggered by Japan and the Philippines announcing formal talks regarding their maritime borders, which China interpreted as a threat to its waters off Taiwan.
Taiwan instructed its ships on Wednesday to disregard any boarding or inspection attempts by China's Coast Guard. It added that Taiwanese vessels would respond to prevent such actions if necessary.
China does not acknowledge Taiwan's claims of sovereignty and considers both the island and its surrounding waters as part of its territory. Taiwan, on the other hand, asserts that China has no rights over the island or its waters.