A Chinese think tank report released on Thursday reveals the legal fallacies in the intention of Japan and the Philippines to initiate maritime delimitation in the waters east of China's Taiwan Island.

The move announced by Japan and the Philippines violates international law and seriously infringes upon China's legitimate rights and interests, according to the report titled "Legal Opinion on the Announcement by Japan and the Philippines on the Launch of Bilateral Maritime Delimitation," which was released by the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the Ministry of Natural Resources.

In the waters east of China's Taiwan Island, China, Japan and the Philippines are neighboring states at sea. The proposed delimitation between Japan and the Philippines substantially overlaps with the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf to which China is entitled under international law, said the report.

The announcement, undertaken without consultation with China and in disregard of the region's specific geographical circumstances, violates international law, including sovereign equality, the duties of cooperation and self-restraint, as well as the principle of good faith, which has constituted an internationally wrongful act, it said.

The report urged Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease their pursuit of bilateral delimitation and actively engage in negotiations with China.