The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday demanded that Japan provide evidence to explain why it detained a Taiwanese fishing boat about 23km east of Iwo Jima.
Ministry spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said the ministry was notified yesterday morning that a Suao-registered fishing boat, the Chuan Sheng No. 30, along with Taiwanese captain Ko Chian-kuo (柯建國) and 10 Indonesian crew members, were taken into custody by the Japanese Coast Guard for allegedly trespassing into Japanese fishing grounds and refusing a request for an on-board inspection.
The ministry said that Ko and the vessel had been taken to Yokohama for questioning today while the crew was taken to the islet of Ogasawara.
Ministry personnel in Tokyo and Yokohoma were in contact with the Japanese Coast Guard and were trying to determine the reason for the detention and to ask for Ko’s immediate release, Chen said.
Ko’s family has been notified, but so far ministry personnel have not had a chance to meet Ko, he said.
The last dispute with Japan concerning a Taiwanese fishing boat was in June 2008 when a fishing trawler was found traveling in close proximity to the Diaoyutai (釣魚台) Islands, which are claimed by Taiwan, Japan and China.
The trawler was sunk by the Japanese Coast Guard following a collision and Tokyo later apologized for the incident.
At the height of the dispute, Taiwan recalled its envoy to Tokyo.
Fishing grounds boundaries and maritime management remain one of the biggest bones of contention between Taiwan and Japan.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS