The fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard in contested waters in the South China Sea has prompted Taipei to urge Manila to negotiate with it over the delineation of fishing grounds in the area, negotiations that have previously been impeded largely by opposition from China, analysts said.
When Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Shih (石定) summoned Philippine Representative to Taiwan Antonio Basilio on Friday to register the government’s concerns over the incident, the ministry proposed that a fisheries agreement be signed between the two countries to end fishing disputes.
According to the ministry, Basilio, who received a copy of the recently signed fisheries agreement between Taiwan and Japan on waters surrounding the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), said Manila “might consider the option.”
At a press conference afterward, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) called on the Philippines, which he said “has shown very little or no interests on the matter,” to “bring the issue to the fore of bilateral relations.”
A ministry official previously posted in the Philippines, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that the major hindrance to seeing the Philippines sit down with Taiwan on the issue was its adherence to a “one China” policy.
The Philippines has been too intimidated by China’s superior military power and economic sanctions to break the “one China” policy, which prevents countries from signing any agreement with Taiwan without China’s consent, he said.
Fisheries Agency Director-General James Sha (沙志一) said that the political obstacle has been an issue in Taiwan’s dealings with the Philippines.
Taiwan and the Philippines signed the Agreement on Sea Lane Passage and the Memorandum on Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation in 1991 to ensure safe passage of Taiwanese fishing boats in its territorial waters en route to the South Pacific Ocean, but in 1998, the Philippines unilaterally invalidated the accord, Sha said.
National Taiwan University international law professor -Chiang Huang-chih (姜皇池) said that countries that have competing territorial claims could resort to various mechanisms to demarcate the zones within which fishing vessels from concerned parties could carry on their operations.
When disputes over territorial delimitation arise, the countries could send the cases to the International Court of Justice, Permanent Court of Arbitration, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea or an ad hoc tribunal, with the consent of all parties, he said.
However, the chance is low that the Philippines will accept any of the options because it could use China as an excuse to delay the issue, Chiang said.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
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