Twenty Chinese activists on two fishing boats are due to arrive at the disputed Diaoyutai islands this morning, state media reported yesterday.
The Xinhua news agency said activists from Chinese companies and a purported non-governmental group would conduct an inspection tour of the islands for tourism purposes.
China has claimed the islands as part of its territory and the activists plan to release an object inscribed "Chinese territory Diaoyu Islands" into the surrounding sea, the report said.
One of the organizers, Li Yi-qiang, said companies in China had provided funding support for the mission for the first time.
The chairman of the board for the Zhongxiang Investment Company, Tong Zeng, said the voyage would be used to investigate fishing conditions and evaluate tourism resources in the area, Xinhua said.
The two boats left Xiamen on Tuesday and are scheduled to reach the islands this morning.
The Diaoyutais are also claimed by Taiwan and Japan. Japan refers to them as the Senkaku islands.
Japan claimed the islands in 1895, but they were temporarily put under US control after World War II.
They were returned to Japan in 1972,s together with Okinawa.
The dispute came to the fore in the early 1970s, when China and Taiwan laid claim to the islands after oil deposits were confirmed in the area by a UN agency.
The dispute escalated last year when the Japanese government admitted to leasing some of the islands from a Japanese family which has owned them for more than three decades.
The islands are situated 500km from Okinawa and 140km from Taiwan.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
RSS