China held a China-Taiwan operation in waters east of Taiwan after Japan and the Philippines announced sea-boundary talks, state news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.
Beijing’s transport ministry organised maritime police from Fujian and Guangdong for what it called a special maritime traffic law enforcement operation.
Xinhua reported that China took the action in response to Tokyo and Manila’s plan to start negotiations on delimiting a maritime boundary near Taiwan.
Japan and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on an economic zone and continental shelf boundary. Beijing called the move illegal.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory. It also says it has exclusive control over the waters involved in the talks.
Taiwan said Wednesday that Japan and the Philippines should consult it on the boundary discussions.
No specific period is given for how long the operation lasted. It also did not confirm whether China sent maritime police ships to the area.
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Japan and the Philippines have deepened security ties in recent years as both face disputes with China at sea.
China and Japan remain locked in disputes in the East China Sea. Meanwhile, Beijing and Manila have faced repeated confrontations in the South China Sea.
