The DPP authorities have turned a deaf ear to the infringement of China's rights and interests by Japan and the Philippines, while turning a blind eye to the damage done to the interests of people on the island. Instead, they have seized the opportunity to aggressively spread the fallacies of "Taiwan independence" separatism and incite anti-China sentiment, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, on Thursday. They have become accomplices of external forces in undermining the overall interests of the Chinese nation, and such despicable and shameless acts will inevitably be rejected by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, she noted.

Zhu made the remarks when asked to comment on Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's recent claim that the Chinese mainland coast guard's recent law enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan island had "undermined peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the rules-based international order."

Zhu noted there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China. China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the waters east of Taiwan island. Japan and the Philippines have unilaterally initiated "maritime delimitation negotiations" in the relevant waters by bypassing China, which seriously violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, gravely infringes upon China's maritime rights and interests, and is completely illegal and invalid.

The Chinese mainland coast guard's law enforcement patrols in the relevant waters are a lawful exercise of jurisdiction in accordance with the law and a legitimate move to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. They are also a necessary response to Japan and the Philippines' unilateral initiation of "maritime delimitation negotiations" in the area that bypass China and infringe upon China's maritime rights and interests, Zhu said.