A Chinese coast guard ship (Illustration: Maritime).
Reuters quoted the announcement of the Maritime Safety Committee of Fujian Province (China) as saying that the above activities include on-board inspections of cargo ships and ships carrying construction materials on both sides of the Taiwan Strait "to ensure maritime safety and order of key projects on the water".
The Taiwanese government has protested against the operation. It has also informed shipping lines that if they are requested to conduct an inspection, they should immediately contact the Taiwanese coast guard for assistance.
The move comes amid escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a bipartisan group of US lawmakers in California on April 5. The US was the Taiwanese leader's transit point after returning from a trip to Central America.
Beijing had previously warned of Tsai’s plans and said it would remain on high alert and prepare countermeasures. According to the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles, the Taiwanese leader is actually engaged in official talks with US officials.
China has always considered Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory and requires countries to respect the "One China" principle.
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