Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin underlined the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait during separate meetings with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅).
Kamikawa and Wang met for about 100 minutes in Busan, South Korea, where they attended a trilateral summit over the weekend, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
Wang urged Japan to “keep its commitments” on the Taiwan issue — to “earnestly abide by the ‘one China’ principle” and refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release.
Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Japan’s position on Taiwan remains unchanged, the Chinese news release said, while the Japanese statement said that Kamikawa stated the importance of cross-strait peace and stability.
Kamikawa expressed “serious concerns” about China’s increased military activities around Japan, her ministry said, adding that the two leaders agreed to hold a bilateral security dialogue as soon as possible.
Yesterday morning, Wang told Jin that the Taiwan issue is a “core interest” of China, the Central News Agency reported.
South Korea maintains its position of opposing use of force to change the “status quo” and emphasizing the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait, it reported.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday “sincerely welcomed and thanked” Kamikawa and Jin for supporting cross-strait peace and stability.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, as well as other senior officials from both sides, have reiterated concerns and support for the cross-strait situation at international events, the ministry said, adding that Taiwan would continue working with them and other like-minded countries to safeguard a peaceful and open Indo-Pacific region.
In other developments, the US Navy asserted its navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea, and challenged restrictions on innocent passage imposed by Taiwan, China and Vietnam.
The recent activities of the US 7th Fleet’s USS Hopper in the South China Sea and near the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) have angered Beijing, which sent naval and air forces to “track, monitor, warn and drive away” the US ship, Tian Junli (田軍里), spokesman for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command, said on Saturday.
Later on the same day, the 7th Fleet issued a statement saying that the destroyer “asserted navigational rights and freedoms” in the area, which is “consistent with international law.”
The operation “upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Vietnam,” the statement said.
Claiming sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and asking permission to conduct innocent passage through their territorial sea contravenes international law, it said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old