The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday reiterated Taiwan’s claim to sovereignty over the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) amid rising tensions between China and Japan over the issue, and urged the involved parties to peacefully resolve the issue.
“We don’t want to see any unilateral behavior that would worsen the dispute. The Republic of China [ROC] government urges all parties involved to set aside disputes and collaborate on the development of the region,” ministry spokesman James Chang (章計平) said at a press briefing.
Chang’s comment came after China and Japan were reportedly planning to step up efforts to solidify their sovereignty claims over the islands, which lie about 100 nautical miles (185km) off Taiwan’s northeast tip in the East China Sea.
According to media reports, China is planning to send vessels to execute regular patrols and strengthen its presence around the Diaoyutais, known as the Senkakus in Japan.
Responding to a reporter, Chang denied that Taiwan’s claim was compromised by the international incident, saying that Taiwan’s position has been firm on the issue and that the islands are “indisputable ROC territory.”
Asked what concrete action Taiwan would take to “avoid being marginalized in [the] multilateral discussion,” Chang said: “We have issued five statements and have held high-level inter-agency meetings since the incident. We have also been monitoring every development, including the remarks on the US-Japan Security Treaty and military drills in the region.”
Taiwan recognizes that the spirit of the US-Japan Security Treaty was aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region, but “to our knowledge, the US does not take any position on the issue of sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands,” he said.
After the Sept. 7 incident, Taiwan summoned Japan’s top envoy, Tadashi Imai, on Sept. 13 to address the dispute.
The ministry said on Sept. 14 that Taiwan “is not siding with China” on the issue after two Taiwanese activists abandoned their protest near the disputed islands when their action was thwarted by the Japanese coast guard.
In related news, during yesterday’s question-and-answer session in the legislature, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said that he would “cautiously consider” the suggestion made by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Liu Shen-liang (劉盛良) that he lead officials in setting sail to the Diaoyutais to declare the country’s sovereignty over the territory.
Asked by Liu to declare the government’s stance on the issue, Wu said its position has been governed by two principles — reaffirming the country’s sovereignty over the Diaoyutais in a forceful way and protecting fishermen’s rights in the waters, as well as refraining from taking any actions that could escalate tensions over the issue.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHIH HSIU-CHUAN
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS