China said both sides of the Taiwan Strait are its territory and that there are no so-called “international waters” in the Strait, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when commenting on what Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) claim that the Strait constitutes “international waters” and should have “navigation freedom” and transport of global trade.
The spokesperson citing United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and China’s domestic law, said the waters of the Taiwan Strait are divided into internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. Hence added that there’s no such legal term as “international waters” in international maritime law.
Noting that the Taiwan Strait has always been one of the busiest shipping routes for global trade, Chen said the DPP authorities, by catering to the distorted views of the United States, have betrayed national interests in their pursuit of “Taiwan independence” through soliciting foreign support.
