China has issued a legal warning to Japan and the Philippines over their planned maritime border discussions, intensifying pressure on two key US allies amid rising regional tensions in the South China Sea.
According to a legal opinion released on Thursday (July 2), the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources said the proposed talks “constitute an internationally wrongful act” and urged both countries to engage in dialogue with Beijing instead.
The document, issued by the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the ministry, argued that the negotiations are unlawful because they are being conducted without consultation with China, while also warning external parties against supporting or recognising the process.
It further stated that Japan and the Philippines “must not introduce the Taiwan authorities” into any maritime delimitation discussions, warning that doing so would amount to a serious challenge to the One-China principle.
Beijing’s move reflects its growing dissatisfaction with maritime discussions involving waters east of Taiwan, an area where China has recently increased its coast guard presence and conducted surveillance operations.
China maintains that it holds sovereign rights over the region’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, a position rejected by Taiwan, which asserts its own governance over the island and surrounding waters.
The legal opinion also claimed that the ongoing Japan-Philippines discussions disregard the status of Taiwan and its surrounding islands, which China considers part of its territory, and said such actions breach international maritime law.
The development comes as Japan and the Philippines deepen defence cooperation and signal closer alignment with the United States, raising concerns in Beijing over a shifting security landscape in the Indo-Pacific.
