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According to the Taiwan Coast Guard, ships are sent in reaction to a China operation.
The “law enforcement operation” was in response to negotiations between Japan and the Philippines to establish a border in the impacted waters, according to Chinese official media on Saturday.
China, which maintains that Taiwan is a part of its territory, referred to the negotiations as “illegal” and asserted that it has sole authority over the waters.
According to a statement from the Taiwanese coast guard, the Chinese ships have been observed “throughout the entire process,” and Taiwan “has deployed the necessary vessels to respond appropriately.”
Taiwan reported that it had seen four Chinese government ships leaving the port of Xiamen that had ventured outside Taiwanese-controlled waters southwest of the island.
More than five ships were sent by Taiwan’s coast guard “to assist with surveillance.”