President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) initiative calling on claimants to the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to set aside sovereignty disputes and jointly develop resources in the East China Sea was “received positively” by Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
According to the ministry, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba was asked by a reporter of the Hong Kong-based Phoenix Channel to comment on Ma’s initiative at a regularly scheduled press conference yesterday.
Gemba said he was aware to some extent of the initiative and considered it an option that countries cooperate in various ways to maintain peace and stability in the region, said a ministry official who asked to remain anonymous.
Gemba said there was some room for cooperation, though he had no idea how to formulate concrete plans, according to the official.
“We regard it as a positive response to the East China Sea Peace initiative because it sent a message of the possibility of cooperation” among countries claiming sovereignty over the disputed waters, the official said.
The official said Gemba told the press conference that Japan did not accept Taiwan’s claims that it has sovereignty over the Diaoyutais, which are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan.
Gemba’s reply on the sovereignty issue was “expected,” the official said.
Ma proposed the five-point statement on Sunday as he called on all concerned parties to refrain from taking any antagonistic actions, to shelve controversies and not abandon dialogue, to observe international law and resolve disputes through peaceful means, to seek consensus on a code of conduct in the East China Sea and to establish a mechanism for cooperation on exploring and developing resources in the East China Sea.
Taipei had communicated with Tokyo over the statement before Ma announced it at a ceremony held to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Coming into Force of the Treaty of Peace between the Republic of China and Japan at the end of World War II.
Japan has not yet responded to Taipei through diplomatic channels over the initiative, the official said, adding that the comments made by Gemba were the first indications of how Tokyo views the proposal.
Earlier yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添), on a trip to Yilan County, said the East China Sea Peace Initiative would be an “all-win” proposal for the nation to enhance its relations with surrounding countries and for all concerned parties to enjoy peace and stability.
The ministry wished concerned parties could handle the issue from a pragmatic view and welcomed all positive responses to the initiative, Yang said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it