China Normalizes Presence in Waters East of Taiwan Amid Boundary Negotiations

## China's Growing Interest in Waters East of Taiwan China has been increasing its presence in the waters east of Taiwan, a move that has been met with criticism from Japan and the Philippines. The situation has been further complicated by the announcement of boundary negotiations between Japan and the Philippines, which China claims should involve its participation. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Japan and the Philippines are entitled to negotiate the boundaries of their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and continental shelves in the waters east of Taiwan. However, China strongly protests the initiative, claiming that Taiwan is part of its own territory and therefore has a right to the waters east of the island. China's claims to the waters east of Taiwan are not new. The country has long argued for the legitimacy of the nine-dash line in the South China Sea, which includes the waters east of Taiwan. In fact, the northeastern end of the nine-dash line runs along southeastern Taiwan, and China has recently added a tenth dash line east of Taiwan to its standard map. ## Normalizing Law Enforcement Activities China's interest in the waters east of Taiwan has led to an increase in law enforcement activities in the region. The China Coast Guard (CCG) has been conducting law enforcement patrols off Taiwan's eastern coast, and these activities are being normalized. Military, legal, and administrative functions are now acting in concert to enforce China's claims to the waters east of Taiwan. This is reminiscent of previous incidents, such as the Kinmen Islands episode in February 2024, where China's CCG announced it would conduct law enforcement patrols in the Xiamen-Kinmen waters and declared such activities would be normalized. Similarly, in the Senkaku Islands, China has allowed coast guard vessels to intrude into Japanese territorial waters as a form of law enforcement. ## Escalating Tensions The recent actions by China are being seen as an attempt to normalize previously non-existent law enforcement activities and change the status quo. Japan and the Philippines have been criticized by China for their foreign policy, with Beijing framing all of Tokyo's foreign policy as "neo-militarism." However, this is seen as a pretext for China to continue litigating Japanese responsibility while simultaneously changing the status quo. The situation in the waters east of Taiwan is likely to continue to escalate, with China's actions being seen as a challenge to the status quo. The recent announcement of boundary negotiations between Japan and the Philippines has only added to the tensions, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.