A mainland Chinese research vessel has conducted a marine environmental survey in waters east of Taiwan, the latest sign of Beijing’s bid to reinforce its jurisdictional claims in the area following Japanese-Philippine maritime boundary talks.
The survey, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday, was conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources’ East China Sea Bureau, which deployed the oceanographic research vessel Xiangyanghong 22.
The goal was to “gain a comprehensive understanding of the natural ecological conditions in China’s jurisdictional waters to support marine ecological conservation efforts”, according to a ministry statement on Thursday.
It is not the first time Beijing has dispatched a research vessel near the island, but an announcement by mainland authorities regarding such missions is rare.
The survey is the latest of Beijing’s efforts to exercise jurisdiction in waters east of Taiwan following maritime boundary talks between Manila and Tokyo late last month. Beijing has criticised the negotiations as “illegal and invalid”.