Taipei: The U.S. State Department voiced its disapproval on Monday of China's decision to implement traffic control measures on vessels traversing the Taiwan Strait as Typhoon Dolphin approached. The announcement from China, made last week, has drawn criticism from Washington, highlighting tensions over navigation freedoms in the region.

According to Focus Taiwan, a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department emphasized Washington's stance against any actions that impede the freedom of navigation and overflight in the Taiwan Strait. This comment came in response to an inquiry from CNA, following China's Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration's declaration to start controlling northbound vessel traffic from 6 p.m. on Thursday.

China's directive required all vessels to adhere to the traffic controls, seek safe harbor from the impending storm, and comply with maritime authority instructions to ensure safety. In a swift response, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration asserted that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, rejecting China's authority to impose such measures.

Adding to the criticism, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council accused the Chinese Communist Party of contravening international norms by using the typhoon as a pretext to assert control over the waters. The council's statement underscored the broader context of China's ongoing "special maritime law enforcement operations" in waters east of Taiwan since June.

Beijing initiated these operations citing bilateral maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines, which it alleges violate China's territorial claims. Despite a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated China's expansive maritime claims, Beijing maintains its sovereignty over Taiwan and the majority of the South China Sea.

Taiwan has countered these claims by routinely deploying patrol vessels to monitor and expel Chinese ships from its restricted waters. The U.S. has also consistently rebuked China's maritime maneuvers, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department warning that China's coast guard deployments near Taiwan threaten regional stability.