Published on : 04/09/2024

On September 4, 1958, the Chinese Government promulgated the "Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on China's Territorial Sea".

The declaration specifies that the breadth of China's territorial sea shall be 12 nautical miles. This applies to all of China's territories, which, besides the Chinese mainland and its coastal islands, also includes Taiwan and the islands in the South China Sea among others.

The declaration also states that all foreign aircraft and military vessels are not allowed to enter China's territorial sea and airspace without the permission of the Chinese government.

The declaration finishes by stating that Taiwan and the Penghu area are "still occupied by American armed forces" and await reclamation.

It asserts, "the Government of the People's Republic of China has the right to recover these area by all suitable means at a suitable time. This is China's internal affair, in which no foreign interference is tolerated."