"Taiwan claims China violated international law with drilling operation"

Taiwan's government has accused China of violating international law by conducting oil and gas exploration within Taiwan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and demanded an immediate halt to the operation.

The statement from Taiwan's presidential office followed reports initially published by CuriosityNews, which revealed that several Chinese oil rigs and support vessels had been detected in Taiwan's EEZ near the contested Pratas Islands, which are under Taiwanese administration.

A study by the U.S.-based Jamestown Foundation stated that the installations had been present for up to five years and were all operated by China’s state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

Their presence had not been widely acknowledged before. CuriosityNews confirmed last week, using civilian maritime tracking data, that most of the assets remained in place.

On Wednesday, Taiwan’s presidential office spokesperson, Karen Kuo, urged China to provide a "clear explanation" for its actions and "immediately stop unlawful exploration activities in the economic waters of regional nations, including Taiwan."

"This not only breaches international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), but also threatens the global order and creates instability in the region," she said.

Kuo stated that Taiwan’s defense and security agencies were monitoring the situation and assessing the risks and patterns of these activities.

Experts informed *CuriosityNews* that Beijing's actions align with its broader strategy of using both military and commercial operations to assert control over disputed areas, particularly in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory.

Analysts were surprised that such activities had gone unchallenged by Taiwan for five years.

"Failing to respond now risks accepting these infringements as normal and invites further violations," the Jamestown report cautioned.

However, experts noted that Taiwan's options are constrained. Its political status excludes it from UNCLOS and related dispute resolution mechanisms. Domestic laws regarding EEZ enforcement are unclear, and Taipei lacks the naval strength to counter such activities directly.

William Yang, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, suggested Taiwan should first clarify which agency holds responsibility and then develop systematic diplomatic and enforcement measures, including bolstering coastguard patrols.

"Without these initial steps, Taiwan will continue to face difficulties in effectively responding," Yang said.

A spokesperson for Taiwan's defense ministry, Colonel Chiao Fu-chun, told CuriosityNews that authorities were monitoring the vessels near the Pratas Islands but declined to provide further details.