2025/06/13
The Ministry of National Defense released a press statement in response to the legislator's proposed amendment to have ‘‘prohibited and restricted waters announced by the Ocean Affairs Council."
MND Press Release
Published at 17:30 on June 13, 2025
In response to the legislator's proposed draft amendment, which seeks to 'downplay sovereignty' to negotiate and delineate maritime zones under our judicial and administrative control that would be recognized by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has expressed its opposition. The explanation is as follows:
I.The CCP has long misinterpreted United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 to assert the "One China Principle" and suppress the international status of our nation, claiming sovereignty over Taiwan, the Republic of China (R.O.C.). Additionally, it has inappropriately expanded the jurisdiction of its Maritime Police Law and Maritime Traffic Safety Law, unilaterally declaring that 'no prohibited or restricted waters exist in the waters between Xiamen and Kinmen.' Its forcible boarding and inspection of our tourist vessels violates the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (hereinafter referred to as the Cross-Strait People’s Relations Act).
II.The MND, in accordance with Article 29 of the Cross-Strait People’s Relations Act, designates “prohibited and restricted waters” in the Taiwan Area to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Some legislators have proposed transferring the authority to announce these prohibited and restricted waters to the Ocean Affairs Council, to “downplay sovereignty.” This could lead the international community to mistakenly perceive it as a “concession of sovereignty” by our nation.
The MND stated that in recent years, the CCP has used activities such as “joint combat readiness patrols” to conduct targeted military exercises against our nation, undermining cross-strait peace and the reality of our sovereign existence. These are examples of “distorting the law to erase sovereignty.” The proposed amendment would send a misleading message to the international community, and the MND does not support it.