3 hours ago
TAIPEI, June 9 (Reuters) - Chinese coast guard ships operating around Taiwan in recent days have been "harassing" commercial shipping by asking them information about their point of origin and destination and claiming jurisdiction, Taiwan's coast guard said on Tuesday.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, was angered after **** an and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries, viewing that as involving waters off Taiwan.
Late on Saturday, Chinese state media reported ships had been sent to carry out a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation" in the waters east of Taiwan in response to the **** anese and Philippine announcement.
In a statement, Taiwan's coast guard said that since Sunday the Chinese ships had broadcast messages to three passing commercial ships asking for information such as their ports of departure and destination.
Taiwan's own ships broadcast back that these were Taiwanese waters in which China had no jurisdiction and the Chinese vessels should "not harass ships," the coast guard said.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, was angered after **** an and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries, viewing that as involving waters off Taiwan.
Late on Saturday, Chinese state media reported ships had been sent to carry out a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation" in the waters east of Taiwan in response to the **** anese and Philippine announcement.
In a statement, Taiwan's coast guard said that since Sunday the Chinese ships had broadcast messages to three passing commercial ships asking for information such as their ports of departure and destination.
Taiwan's own ships broadcast back that these were Taiwanese waters in which China had no jurisdiction and the Chinese vessels should "not harass ships," the coast guard said.
