China's Ministry of Natural Resources conducted a marine survey in its jurisdictional waters in the East China Sea using the research vessel Xiangyanghong 22. The mission aimed to understand ecological conditions for conservation efforts, with announcements of such missions being rare.
Beijing rejects boundary talks with Japan and Philippines, citing illegality and invalidity, amid escalating territorial disputes and joint naval patrols in contested waters.
Japan and the Philippines have begun formal negotiations to delimit their maritime boundaries, a move that overlaps with Taiwan's exclusive economic zones and is viewed by Beijing as a challenge to its stance on Taiwan. Such bilateral agreements may lack legal weight for excluded claimants.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China's participation is essential for negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation between Japan and the Philippines, asserting that the waters east of Taiwan fall within China's EEZ.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Japan and the Philippines' maritime boundary talks, located east of Taiwan, violate international law and infringe upon China's maritime rights. She emphasized that China must participate in any such negotiations concerning these waters.
