The Japan Coast Guard has begun withdrawing its ships from what Tokyo claims as its 200 nautical mile (370.4km) exclusive economic zone near Okinotori atoll, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Director-General Lee Chung-wei (李仲威) said yesterday.
Lee made the announcement while answering questions from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee.
He had been asked to give a briefing regarding the issues concerning Okinotori.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Chuang asked if there were any armed Japanese vessels still operating within 200 nautical miles of Okinotori, and Lee said that the Japan Coast Guard had begun to pull its ships out of the zone yesterday.
Asked by Chuang if the CGA ships now in the area would remain until the Japan Coast Guard had completely withdrawn, Lee said: “Yes, this is our principle as well.”
However, Lee did not elaborate on whether Taiwan or Japan would be the first to pull all its armed vessels from the zone.
The two nations have clashed over the rights of Taiwanese fishermen to operate in waters near Okinotori since the Japan Coast Guard seized a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Tung Sheng Chi No. 16, on April 25 while it was operating in waters about 150 nautical miles (277.8km) from the atoll.
The boat and its crew were released the following day after the boat’s owner paid a security deposit.
CGA vessels and a military ship were then sent to the area to protect the interests of Taiwanese fishermen still operating there, on a mission scheduled to last until Tuesday next week.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration said Okinotori is a reef and therefore not entitled to anything more than a 500m “security zone” around it, but Japan says Okinotori is an island entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Kyodo News in Japan on Monday reported that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) government had informed the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Taiwan’s patrol boats would be withdrawn ahead of schedule.
Tsai’s government has expressed the hope of using dialogue with Japan to address the rights of Taiwanese fishermen in the disputed waters.
Asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) if Taiwanese fishing boats can operate within 200 nautical miles of Oknotori, Lee said it is the CGA’s duty to protect the safety of fishermen, and he gave a guarantee that they could operate there.
“I can affirmatively say that I will definitely be responsible for their safety,” Lee said.
Before attending the committee meeting, Lee, in response to media queries, emphasized the government’s determination to protect its fishermen, and said that patrol deployments in waters near a Japan-controlled atoll in the West Pacific have not changed.
Lee also promised that CGA patrol ships would remain in the disputed area until after next month.
In related news, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) said Taipei is scheduled to start maritime negotiations with Japan by the end of July in an effort to better protect Taiwanese fishermen’s rights on the high seas.
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