Official Refutes Scholar's Claim on Eastern Sea Governance: 'Does Not Comply with International Law'

Taiwan's Maritime Patrol Agency strongly condemned China's recent incursions into its eastern waters, actions that a Chinese scholar, cited by a Taiwanese official, suggested were part of China's expanding "governance" model. However, Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs, Song Cheng-en, vehemently refuted these claims, asserting that China possesses no sovereignty or legal right to establish any form of governance in Taiwan's eastern waters.

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The People's Republic of China has no sovereignty over Taiwan's eastern sea area, nor does it have the right to establish a so-called 'governance model.'

Song Cheng-en issued a statement emphasizing that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has never ruled Taiwan and lacks any legal foundation to claim sovereignty over its waters. He clarified that international law bases maritime rights on established claims, not unilateral declarations or the frequency of public vessel appearances. Citing the principle that "land exists, then the sea exists," Song stressed that the PRC's lack of land territory in the region precludes any legitimate maritime claims.

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The People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan, and there is no legal basis for it to claim sovereignty over Taiwan.

The deputy minister further addressed the scholar's argument that China's repeated actions could establish "normal governance." Song explained that this interpretation misapplies international law principles regarding the acquisition of rights through factual conduct. Such principles, he noted, are only applicable to unclaimed territories, areas with tacit consent from other potential claimants, and require prolonged, peaceful exercise recognized by the international community – none of which apply to Taiwan's eastern waters.

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The argument that China's repeated actions can establish 'normal jurisdiction' misapplies the principle of acquiring rights through factual conduct in international law.

Taiwan's coast guard has consistently monitored and challenged Chinese vessels in these waters, informing affected merchant ships to disregard Chinese broadcasts and contact Taiwanese authorities instead. Song reiterated that China's actions are illegal expansions, not legitimate assertions of authority, and urged commentators to accurately understand international law's evaluation of China's behavior. He concluded that China's claims and actions in Taiwan's waters are unequivocally infringements that cannot be legitimized by repetition or flawed legal arguments.

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Illegal actions do not become legal simply because they are repeated or packaged with illusory legal principles.