The islet of Okinotorishima lies halfway between Guam and Taiwan, roughly 1,600km from Taiwan and 1,700km south of Tokyo. Japan claims the island as part of its territory -- as well as an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles (370km) around it.
It recently became a point of contention for Taiwan's fishermen operating near the island, as they have been continuously expelled by Japanese ships for trespassing into Japan's EEZ. Taiwanese fishing boats from Ilan's Suao harbor have long been harassed by the Japanese coast guard. Earlier this month, a Suao fishboat was fined NT$1.2 million (US$35,700) for operating around the island.
Angered by the incident, local fishermen recently endorsed a petition to bring the case to both Japanese courts and the international court in Geneva. Some even vowed to blow up the coral reef island if the government takes no action on the issue.
The head of the Ilan fishermen's association, Lin Ri-cheng (
If the area were occupied by Japan, it would deal a deadly blow to Taiwanese fishermen's livelihoods, Lin said.
But the dispute surrounding Okinotorishima concerns more than fishing resources. It is important strategically.
The government, caught between national security interests and fishing rights, has been low-key in dealing with the territorial dispute with Japan.
A foreign ministry official in charge of Japanese affairs told the Taipei Times that the government is maintaining a "vague" position on the issue so as not to sour its good relations with Japan.
"We are adopting a vague strategy, which means we won't challenge Japan's claim of an EEZ around the island," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said the dispute arose from differences over whether Okinotorishima constitutes an island. If it doesn't, Japan can at most claim an area of about 12-24 nautical miles (22km-45km) as belonging to it, the official said.
Japan's claim that Okinotorishima is an island is based on Article 121 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that "an island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide."
However, this definition is contested, in particular by China. China argues the island is merely a rock. Paragraph 3 of the same article of the UN convention states that "rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no EEZ or continental shelf."
Using this interpretation, China believes it is free to do research in the waters near the area.
Japanese analysts, however, believe that China is conducting underwater surveys to find a way to block the US fleet from Guam in the event of military conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
Japanese military experts have suggested that Taiwan support Japan's territorial claim on Okinotorishima, which would help Japan block China's underwater surveys.
"The step would be in Taiwan's own best interests in terms of security, and it could also strengthen US-Japan-Taiwan cooperation," the experts wrote in a paper discussed at the US-Japan-Taiwan Strategic Dialogue held by Taiwan Thinktank late last month.
Tomohito Shinoda, an associate professor at the International University of Japan, and one of the main proponents of the idea, suggested that Taiwan make the move to help it against China's navy.
Citing statistics from Japan's Land and Transport Ministry, the paper said that China had conducted underwater surveys near Okinotorishima 22 times last year.
In response to the suggestion, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Rear Admiral Liou Chih-chien (劉志堅) said the ministry believes Taiwan should take responsibility for defense in waters around Okinotorishima and should not rely too much on foreign countries.
Liou said Taiwan recognizes the strategic significance of the waters around Okinotorishima. However, "Japan has diplomatic ties with China, and if Taiwan relies too much on Japan ... and if by any chance China and Japan reach a compromise, Taiwan would be in a very bad situation."
Liou said the defense ministry's proposal to procure 12 P-3C Orion maritime-patrol aircraft and eight diesel-electric submarines from the US would enhance defense capabilities in the waters around Taiwan.
While a P-3C force would be able to detect and monitor Chinese vessels and submarines, a Taiwanese submarine force deployed behind the aircraft would be able to ambush such vessels, Liou added.
Chang Kuo-cheng (
He said he believes Japan would be willing to conclude a fisheries deal with Taiwan that would allow Taiwanese fishing boats to operate in waters around Okinotorishima in exchange for nominal compensation.
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