China told Japan yesterday to respect its “indisputable sovereignty” over islands claimed by both countries in the East China Sea, in the latest territorial row between Beijing and its neighbors.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) met Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba in Phnom Penh where he “reaffirmed China’s principled position” on the islands known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyutai (釣魚台) in Chinese, and are also claimed by Taiwan.
“He stressed that Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets have always been China’s territory since ancient times, over which China has indisputable sovereignty,” a statement from the Chinese delegation said.
Photo: Reuters
Japan summoned the Chinese ambassador in Tokyo as three Chinese patrol boats approached the chain of islands, which are privately held by Japanese owners.
The crew of the Chinese vessels, which have since left the islands’ immediate vicinity, initially rebuffed Japanese orders to leave, Japanese officials said.
“We are conducting official duty in Chinese waters. Do not interfere. Leave China’s territorial waters,” the Chinese crew said, according to the Japan Coast Guard.
The waters around the disputed islands have been the scene of previous rows, including the arrest of a Chinese trawlerman in late 2010.
Yesterday’s spat is the latest clash over disputed territory between China and its neighbors that threatens to overshadow attempts to smooth regional relations at an Asian security summit in Cambodia this week.
ASEAN’s 10 member countries have been trying to agree a long-stalled “code of conduct” for the South China Sea that would help settle overlapping claims in the resource-rich waterway.
The Philippines is leading a push for ASEAN to unite to persuade China to accept a code based on a UN law on maritime boundaries that would delineate the areas belonging to each country.
Manila also wants ASEAN to condemn a standoff last month between Philippine and Chinese ships over the Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) and also claimed by Taiwan, an outcrop in the South China Sea.
Yang urged Japan to adhere to agreements and understandings with China “in good faith” and said it should return to “the right path of managing differences through dialogue and consultation with the Chinese side.”
China’s assertiveness over disputed territories in the South China Sea, which is home to vital shipping lanes, is seen by analysts as pushing anxious neighboring countries closer to the US.
Beijing also recently angered Vietnam by inviting bids for exploration of oil blocks in contested waters, sparking protests in Hanoi.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Cambodia yesterday to press for closer relations with ASEAN, part of Washington’s strategy of “pivoting” toward Asia to challenge China’s influence.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS