China Announces Maritime Operation Near Taiwan Amid Japan–Philippines Maritime Border Talks

China’s Ministry of Transport has announced a special operation to control maritime activity in the waters east of Taiwan.

According to the Xinhua news agency, Beijing claimed that the move is a response to Japan and the Philippines planning to start talks on delimiting maritime boundaries in an area that China considers to affect its rights and interests.

According to the report, on June 6, 2026, China’s Ministry of Transport, together with the Maritime Safety Administrations of Fujian and Guangdong provinces, the East China Sea Navigation Support Center, and the East China Sea Rescue Bureau, launched a special operation.

The operation aims to fully enforce administrative control over the maritime area, strengthen patrols in deep-water zones and traffic monitoring, ensure the safety of navigation, and protect China’s national rights and interests.

In late May 2026, during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Japan, Japan and the Philippines announced plans to begin formal talks on the delimitation of their maritime boundaries.

China has repeatedly argued that any bilateral agreements concerning disputed maritime areas are invalid if negotiated without Beijing’s participation.

On June 1, China’s Coast Guard had already conducted patrols in the area. Taiwan responded by deploying coast guard vessels to monitor the situation.

Japan’s and the Philippines’ decision to pursue maritime boundary talks has been driven by the significant presence of Chinese naval and coast guard forces in disputed waters, as well as repeated incursions into maritime zones claimed by both countries.

For example, more than ten incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels were reported during 2025. In several cases, Chinese ships collided with Philippine vessels. Notably, in October 2025, a Chinese Coast Guard ship deliberately rammed a Philippine vessel near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The Philippines also reported that the Chinese Coast Guard used water cannons against the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a ship operated by Manila’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Furthermore, after nearly ten years, China has resumed building artificial islands in the South China Sea to expand its influence. These actions have raised serious concerns among Asian countries that view China as a regional threat.