China's law enforcement activities aim to counter the Philippines' provocative actions in Tiexian Jiao: Chinese FM on whether China will announce baselines

Responding to media inquiries on whether China will announce territorial sea baselines for Tiexian Jiao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that Tiexian Jiao is part of China's Nansha Islands and is an uninhabited reef.

Guo emphasized that China's law enforcement activities in accordance with the law are aimed at countering the Philippines' illegal landings and other provocative actions, and at firmly safeguarding national territorial sovereignty. They are also aimed at maintaining the reef's status as uninhabited and without facilities and upholding the seriousness of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Guo added.

On Sunday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) announced that six Philippine personnel illegally boarded Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea despite the Chinese side's warnings and dissuasion. Following the move, the CCG officers boarded the Tiexian Jiao to verify and handle the situation in accordance with the law.

China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Tixian Jiao, and the adjacent waters. The Philippine side's actions violate China's territorial sovereignty, breach the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea, CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun said on Sunday.