Taipei: Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Sunday condemned China's announcement of a maritime law enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan, stating that Beijing has no sovereign rights in the area and its claims violate international law.According to Focus Taiwan, the CGA rejected assertions by China's Ministry of Transport regarding the "special maritime traffic law enforcement operation" planned east of Taiwan, with vessels expected to reach the area on June 7. The CGA emphasized that China does not enjoy sovereign rights in these waters and accused Beijing of actions that seriously deviate from international law.As of early Sunday, the CGA reported detecting four Chinese vessels - "Haixun 06," "Haixun 08," "Haixun 09," and "Donghaijiu 113" - departing from Xiamen in China's Fujian Province and heading toward waters southwest of Taiwan. The CGA noted that these vessels were operating outside Taiwan's restricted waters, which extend from 12 to 24 nautical miles offshore.The CGA has dis patched five patrol vessels - the Tamsui, Jian, Kaohsiung, Changbin, and Hualien - to the area, with smaller patrol vessels on standby within the 24-nautical-mile zone to monitor the movements of the Chinese vessels. The agency confirmed that none of the Chinese vessels have entered Taiwan's restricted waters, and maritime traffic around Taiwan continues to operate normally.China announced a new round of special maritime law enforcement operations late Saturday, organized by the Ministry of Transport, the Fujian and Guangdong maritime safety administrations, the East China Sea Navigation Support Center, and the East China Sea Rescue Bureau. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the operations respond to unilateral actions by Japan and the Philippines to engage in maritime boundary delimitation talks east of Taiwan, which Beijing claims infringe upon its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.According to Xinhua, the operations aim to exercise China's maritime administrative law enforceme nt jurisdiction, enhance deep-sea cruise enforcement, traffic control capabilities, safeguard maritime traffic safety, and protect national interests. However, the CGA accused Beijing of escalating its "gray-zone" pressure campaign against Taiwan, citing recent activities by Chinese vessels in the region as part of attempts to assert jurisdiction over the area.The CGA declared strong condemnation of China's actions and pledged to take all necessary measures to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and ensure maritime security. Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung mentioned that the proposed talks between Japan and the Philippines aim to counter China and that Taiwan remains in close contact with both countries to protect its rights.The planned talks have raised concerns among some Taiwanese maritime experts due to the overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) claimed by Japan and the Philippines with Taiwan's EEZ in waters east of the island. An EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's ba seline, granting sovereign rights to explore, exploit, and manage natural resources within the zone.