Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) yesterday reaffirmed the government’s position that Taiwan will not make any concessions on the nation’s territorial sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) and called on Japan to deal with the matter with rationality and deliberation.
“There is no question that the Diaoyutais have been an integral part of the territory of the Republic of China [ROC] since ancient times, as evidenced by historical facts, geology, international law and the operations of traditional Taiwanese fishermen,” Yang said on the sidelines of a press conference to promote an emergency aid application for Taiwanese traveling abroad, known as Travel Emergency Guidance, launched by the ministry.
Yang said that despite the nation’s full sovereignty over the islands, the government must put aside long-standing disputes over the matter while inviting other countries to jointly explore and share resources in an amicable, equal and a reciprocal manner.
The foreign minister made the remark following a new round of disputes over the islands, as well as confirmation by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Saturday of a report that the Japanese government was mulling buying a chain of islands in the Diaoyutais from a Japanese man who claims them as his inheritance and nationalizing them at a later date.
Asked about the possibility of the government adopting “concrete measures” to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, Yang said the ministry would seek further deliberation with concerned agencies and put in place proper countermeasures.
“[Any future actions] would be contingent on the development of the matter,” Yang said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese navy yesterday started a six-day live-fire military drill, which will run through Sunday, in the East China Sea. The exercise comes at a sensitive time and has added to the already considerable tension in the region.
Yang urged all parties to remain calm and react cautiously while refraining from any inflammatory rhetoric or conduct that could adversely impact the regional status quo.
He reiterated that Taiwan would not join hands with China in asserting sovereignty over the islands, adding the country has its own stance and national interests on the issue.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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