Hold up! ✋ Things are heating up in the Pacific. China has just thrown some serious shade at the planned maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines, calling them "totally illegal and invalid." 🚩
Here is the tea: Japan and the Philippines recently put out a joint statement saying they want to start talks to figure out where their maritime borders are. The problem? The waters they are talking about are located east of the Taiwan region. 🌊
Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, didn't hold back during a press briefing this Wednesday. She reminded everyone that "there is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China." According to Zhu, these planned negotiations are a major no-go because they infringe on China's maritime rights and violate international law and the basic norms of international relations. ⚖️
The spokesperson also called out the Taiwan authorities, specifically the Democratic Progressive Party, accusing them of relying on external forces and betraying national interests. Zhu emphasized that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the Chinese nation and should work together to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity. 🤝
While boundary talks might sound like a dry geography lesson, this is really about sovereignty and regional influence in one of the world's most strategic waterways. Stay tuned as we keep an eye on these cross-strait ties and international vibes! 🌍💬✨
Reference(s):
China says Japan-Philippines maritime boundary talks 'totally illegal'
cgtn.com
