The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it would continue to negotiate with the US regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), after US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said during a visit to Tokyo that the disputed island chain falls under the auspices of a Japan-US security treaty.
The Diaoyutais, as affiliated islands of Taiwan, are under the jurisdiction of Yilan County and the Republic of China’s (ROC) sovereignty over them is undisputed based on their location, historical evidence, geological composition and international law, ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang (王珮玲) said in a news release.
“Since 1971, the US has repeatedly reiterated that the transfer of administrative rights over the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan did not touch upon the sovereignty issue. Washington also formally notified us on May 26, 1971, that the transfer did not damage the ROC’s relevant sovereignty claims,” Wang said.
Photo: CNA
The islands, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, have been under Tokyo’s control since 1972, but are also claimed by Taipei and Beijing.
Debate over the archipelago was renewed after Japan nationalized three islets in 2012.
The ministry issued the remarks after Mattis reaffirmed the US’ commitment to defending Japan under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, which he said also applied to the Senkakus.
The US has maintained its neutrality on the issue and reiterated on multiple occasions that it would not take a stance on the ultimate sovereignty of the territory, Wang said.
The government remains firm in its stance that the international dispute caused by the Diaoyutai Islands should be solved peacefully based on the UN Charter and relevant international laws, she said.
“We will continue to communicate with the US and explain our sovereignty claims,” she said, adding that the government remains committed to its pledge of being willing to engage in dialogue with concerned parties and help maintain regional peace.
BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The planned transit by the ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and the ‘Frankfurt am Main’ would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002 Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing. Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal. The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment. While
‘UPHOLDING PEACE’: Taiwan’s foreign minister thanked the US Congress for using a ‘creative and effective way’ to deter Chinese military aggression toward the nation The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, aimed at deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by threatening to publish information about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials’ “illicit” financial assets if Beijing were to attack. The act would also “restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials,” the text of the legislation says. The bill was introduced in January last year by US representatives French Hill and Brad Sherman. After remarks from several members, it passed unanimously. “If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, [the bill] requires the Treasury secretary to publish the illicit
A senior US military official yesterday warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing’s “dangerous” moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders. Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of Taiwan and China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions, but they have sought to re-establish regular military-to-military talks in a bid to prevent flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control. Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and Wu Yanan (吳亞男), head of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, talked via videoconference. Paparo “underscored the importance
The US House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, which aims to disincentivize Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by cutting Chinese leaders and their family members off from the US financial system if Beijing acts against Taiwan. The bipartisan bill, which would also publish the assets of top Chinese leaders, was cosponsored by Republican US Representative French Hill, Democratic US Representative Brad Sherman and seven others. If the US president determines that a threat against Taiwan exists, the bill would require the US Department of the Treasury to report to Congress on funds held by certain members of the
RSS