02/06/2026

TUESDAY | JUNE 2, 2026

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Maritime talks anger Beijing

BEIJING: China’s Coast Guard said yesterday it had conducted “law enforcement” patrols in waters east of Taiwan in response to Japan and the Philippines’ plans to launch maritime border delimitation talks, which overlap with areas claimed by China. Taiwan condemned the move, but said it spotted only two Chinese ships to its southeast which did not enter restricted waters. Japan and the Philippines said last week they would begin formal talks on delimiting the maritime boundary of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between the two countries “in accordance with international law”. Delimitation involves the legal and cartographic process of defining a boundary between two regions or countries. While they did not give details, China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday said that area covered waters east of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, adding that such talks

end of the South China Sea but left after a stand-off with Taiwan’s coast guard. Speaking to reporters in parliament, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said while the Coast Guard had the primary role around the Pratas, the military had a role to play by helping Taiwan’s Coast Guard. “The navy will provide the necessary assistance in accordance with our joint cooperative protocols,” he said. China claims Taiwan and almost the entire South China Sea via a “nine-dash line” on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claim. – Reuters

“Therefore, we believe there is no issue whatsoever under international law.” The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Late on Sunday, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry denounced China’s comments. “China has no right to interfere in Taiwan’s territorial sovereignty and sovereign rights over its relevant maritime areas,” it said. Taiwan reports that Chinese warships and warplanes operate around the island almost daily, sometimes joined by Chinese Coast Guard ships. Last month, a Chinese coast guard ship approached close to the Taiwan controlled Pratas Islands at the top

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o China extends patrols east of Taiwan are “completely illegal, null and void”. China’s Coast Guard said a flotilla had carried out the patrol in accordance with the law to the east of Taiwan, though it did not specify where exactly. “This is a necessary action taken in response to Japan and the Philippines announcing the initiation of maritime boundary delimitation negotiations in the waters east of China’s Taiwan island,” it said. “We urge Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease all illegal actions that infringe upon

interests.” Taiwan’s Coast Guard said it monitored with its own ship two Chinese vessels operating southeast of its Orchid Island in the Pacific Ocean and condemned China for claiming to carry out “law enforcement activities”. “The sovereignty of the Republic of China must not be infringed upon,” it said in a statement, using Taiwan’s formal name. “We are firmly committed to defending national sovereignty and ensuring the security of our waters.” In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said any agreement on maritime boundaries reached by Japan and the Philippines would not be legally binding on “third parties”.

PAPUA BOMB BLAST CLAIMS FIVE LIVES JAKARTA: A suspected shell left over from World War II exploded under a stilt house in an eastern Papua fishing village, killing five people and wounding nearly 20. The blast startled locals with a thunderous boom on Sunday afternoon, emitting a ball of flame followed by thick smoke, according to Kompas TV. Nine homes were destroyed. “The source of the explosion is suspected to have been a bomb or mortar left over from World War II,” said Papua police spokesman Cahyo Sukarnito. Three people are still missing. At least 19 people were treated for injuries. – AFP MYANMAR LEADER MEETS MODI NEW DELHI: India gave a red carpet welcome to Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing yesterday. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Bihar on Saturday and visited Bodh Gaya, where believers say that the Buddha attained enlightenment. He is expected to hold talks with investors during his five-day visit and will travel to Mumbai. Bilateral trade was US$1.95 billion (RM7.7 billion) in 2025 2026, according to New Delhi. Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as Myanmar’s president in April. – AFP TAXI CRASHES INTO WESAK CROWD COLOMBO: Six people were killed and seven others injured when a taxi crashed into a crowd on Sunday night in Sri Lanka’s Western Province. The accident occurred on High Level Road in Meegoda. Police said the vehicle veered into a group of devotees waiting in line at a food stall. Thirteen of the injured were taken to Homagama Hospital. Three men and three women died before admission, police said. The victims were aged from 15 to 56. Police arrested the 42 year-old driver, after he allegedly tried to flee the scene. The driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol. – Bernama

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BLESSINGS FOR ALL ... A Buddhist monk splashes holy water on devotees during Wesak Day at Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. – REUTERSPIC

Philippines, Vietnam renew defence ties MANILA: The Philippines and Vietnam agreed to strengthen defence ties yesterday to help bolster maritime security in the region and maintain peace in the disputed South China Sea. The Southeast Asian countries are among the nations in the region,

including China, to lay claims to the Spratly chain, which sits near vital shipping lanes and is rich in minerals. After a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam in Manila, Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos said the partnership has become “increasingly important” as the region navigates uncertainty “marked by geopolitical fragmentation”. The nations renewed a 2010 defence agreement, establishing that both would maintain “delegation exchanges for security and defence matters”, and step up “information exchange”. They also agreed to collaborate on law enforcement to prevent transnational crime, including cyber scams, illegal migration, human trafficking, illegal gambling, among other challenges. Lam said after the meeting that any individual or organisation using the “territory of one country to commit sabotage against the other” would also be prevented. At a joint news conference following the meeting, Marcos said

“as fellow claimant states” of the South China Sea both it and Vietnam would also “reaffirm that maintaining peace, stability, and the freedom of navigation and overflight” in the region “remains non-negotiable”. “We stand resolute in our commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes grounded firmly in international law,” he said. It comes just days after China’s military drove away a Dutch navy vessel it accused of “illegally intruding” into the area around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Netherlands insisted that its frigate had been in international waters. A day before the move, the United States, India, Japan and Australia jointly voiced concern over the South and East China Seas, warning against any assertive moves. Without referring to China by name, the nations’ foreign ministers criticised “dangerous manoeuvres by military aircraft” and “ramming and blocking actions in the South China Sea”. – AFP

Marcos (second from right) and To Lam (second from left) look on as Vietnam Defence Minister Phan Van Giang (left) and Philippines Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro exchange documents at Malacanang Presidential Palace. – AFPPIC