On Aug. 16, a Russian patrol boat fired at a Japanese fishing boat and killed a Japanese fisherman in the disputed waters off Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, leading to another diplomatic conflict over the territory between Russia and Japan.
Meanwhile, five members of a Taiwanese alliance for the protection of the sovereignty of the Diaoyutai Islands departed from Taipei County for the disputed island group as a protest against Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's controversial visit to the Yasukuni Shrine the day before. Their boat was expelled by the Japanese coast guard.
Other sovereignty disputes in East Asia include Japan and South Korea's dispute over Takeshima Island and the conflict between Singapore and Malaysia over the Padra Branca Islands.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea clearly states that a coastal country can claim a 200 nautical-mile (370km) "exclusive economic zone." Since this is crucial to a nation's resources and rights, international conflicts are frequent. Strong maritime nations usually adopt the method of "practical occupation, effective management" to assert control. Japan's projection of its sovereignty over the Diaoyutai is backed by the public, and has universal support within the Japanese government.
By comparison, Taiwan divided the East China Sea into five areas for oil and gas investigation in the 1960s, and claimed the sea territory surrounding the Diaoyutai in 1998, but no effort has been made regarding either sovereignty protection or resource exploration.
What legal or scientific basis should Taiwan build its sovereignty discourse on, and what kinds of long-term scientific investigation need to be implemented? Taiwan does not pay any attention to these questions, and fails to integrate opinions from all the related fields. Naturally, such a passive attitude makes it difficult for Taiwan to create a favorable situation in the South China Sea and on the Diaoyutai issue.
More attention should be given to the way Taiwan's outlying islands have been abused lately. Well known examples are the sudden construction of a harbor and meaningless hiking pathways on Orchid Island with its unique marine life. To boost the tourism industry, thousands of motorcycles for round-the-island tours are now running across Green Island, which used to be beautiful and quiet. Some rare bays, wetlands, and coastal areas on Kinmen and Matsu have also been destroyed due to various construction projects.
Other thorny issues include the occupation by Chinese fishermen of uninhabited islands off Penghu, and the difficult management and repatriation of these fishermen. The discovery of ancient pottery in Makung Harbor also highlights the new issue of exploration and protection of underwater cultural assets. This is not only a matter of sovereignty but also long-term planning and sustainable management.
Islands are considered precious assets. They receive much attention because of their sensitive ecological situation, fragile environment, and unique cultural and scenic resources. For example, the untouched and rich resources on the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador in South America provided the impetus for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
As a result of global warming and the tsunamis in South Asia, the UN has established a Small Island Developing States network to promote sustainable island development. The UN's Environment Program has set up a Web site dealing with the protection and conservation of islands, calling in several island forums on the world's island states to pay attention to rising sea levels and the prevention and handling of sea disasters. The UN also organized the Third Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands in Paris in late January.
In response to this trend, the International Small Islands Studies Association also held the eighth biannual Islands of the World conference in Kinmen between Nov. 1 and 7, 2004. On the national level, Indonesia's Ministry of Sea Exploration and Fishery also announced guidelines for sustainable development of islands of its thousands of islands.
To manage its islands effectively, China is now drafting an island law and plans to improve management by charging special fees. Environmental protection groups aiming to protect islands and their natural environment have been established in countless regions around the world.
The Diaoyutai sovereignty dispute is only part of Taiwan's problem with its offshore islands. From a global perspective, such issues are no longer isolated local problems or the problem of one ministry. To solve such problems, the government should categorize different islands, beaches and reefs in by characteristics such as sovereign status, ecological sensitivity, environment uniqueness, cultural assets, human habitation and economic resources. On this basis we can move to establish a comprehensive policy to protect the nation's rights and promote the sustainable management of our resources.
Chiau Wen-yan is the director of the Graduate Institute of Marine Resource Management at National Taiwan Ocean University.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath