Taiwanese fishers’ operations in the East China Sea are still protected under a Taiwan-Japan agreement and remain the same, despite an administrative name change to some islands, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s office in Taipei said yesterday.
The Ishigaki Municipal Assembly on Monday last week passed a bill to change the administrative name of the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) — known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan — from “Tonoshiro” to “Tonoshiro Senkaku.”
The islands are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea claimed by Taiwan, Japan and China.
Photo courtesy of Li Chung-wei
The rights of Taiwanese fishers are not affected by the Ishigaki council’s name change, association’s spokeswoman Takano Hanae said, describing media reports that their fishing rights have been affected as misleading.
Taiwanese vessels are still entitled to the fishing rights in waters listed in the 2013 Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement, Hanae said, adding that Japan does not want to make any unilateral changes to the “status quo.”
The association hopes to continue deepening Japan-Taiwan cooperation based on the existing platforms, Hanae said, as Taiwan is an important friend of Japan.
In related news, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday morning canceled a planned afternoon visit to Yilan County to support efforts to reassert Taiwan’s sovereignty over the Diaoyutais, citing a conflict of schedule.
ANTI-SHIP CONFIGURATION: The Tuo Chiang-class vessels are to be built for NT$9.7 billion by Lung Teh, a shipyard that previously built four similar corvettes for the navy The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday awarded Lung Teh Shipbuilding (龍德造船) a NT$9.7 billion Co (US$317.57 million) contract to build five Tuo Chiang-class corvettes with anti-ship capabilities, a defense official familiar with the matter said yesterday. The corvettes would carry vertical launchers for four Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) missiles, as well as eight Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, in contrast to ships configured for anti-air warfare, which carry eight HF-2 and four HF-3 missiles, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The anti-ship corvettes would be armed for improved standoff range against surface combatants and carry the latest
‘COINCIDENCE’: The former president should keep in mind local and global response to his actions and abide by the law to safeguard national interests, the MAC said The Presidential Office yesterday confirmed that it has received an application from former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to visit China next week and would be discussing his security detail. “As the travel restrictions on former president Ma have expired, we respect his plan to pay respect to his ancestors in China,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said. “We will review his travel plan and consult concerned agencies to assist him in arranging his security detail.” “We also hope that Ma, as a former commander in chief of Taiwan, acts in a manner that aligns with national interests and does not hurt
‘NOTHING NEW’: China should not use Tsai Ing-wen’s transits through the US as a pretext to step up aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait, a Washington official said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to stop over in the US on her way to and from Central America next week, but her administration would not confirm a meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Tsai’s delegation is to leave Taipei on Wednesday next week and stop over in New York City, Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) told a news conference yesterday. Tsai is then to head to Guatemala on Saturday next week for talks with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and to meet with Taiwanese expatriates, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. On April 3, Tsai is scheduled to travel
Taiwan is to obtain maintenance parts for its AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, after the Republic of China Defense Mission to the US and the American Institute in Taiwan signed a NT$1.44 billion (US$47.1 million) deal that is to be in effect until Sept. 15, 2028. Taiwan operates 29 Apaches. The US is concerned that if China were to blockade Taiwan, it would be impossible to supply the nation with military equipment, natural gas, coal and other items, a military source said on condition of anonymity. The deal seeks to ensure stable supply of maintenance parts for the Apaches to keep them operational
RSS