Over 100 policemen were mobilized to guard the Taipei office of Japan's Interchange Association yesterday for fear that several hundred fishermen from eastern Taiwan would swamp the de facto Japanese embassy to protest a fishing dispute over territorial waters between the two countries.
To the police and Japanese liaison officials' relief, the fishermen did not show up, except for about a dozen activists led by Hsiao Wen-yi (蕭文義), chairman of the Taiwan Fishermen's Human Rights Association.
Many journalists, including reporters and cameramen from Japan, seemed to be disappointed with the absence of protesters, who were found later to have gone to the Legislative Yuan to lodge their protest.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Chen (
A preparatory meeting is scheduled to be held in Tokyo today to pave the way for the 15th round of Taiwan-Japan fishery talks slated for July 29, also in Tokyo.
Fisheries Administration officials said that the government will continue to exchange views with the fishermen, adding that any Taiwan-Japan fishing disputes should be tackled diplomatically.
Chen, who is currently on a visit in the West African country of Burkina Faso to cement diplomatic ties, said that he does not think the fishing rights issue would be a bone of contention between Taiwan and Japan.
For international talks, Chen said, "you have to `give and take' to secure the best possible results, and radical words or moves aren't helpful either before or after."
Chen was referring to the latest news reports from Taiwan that a Coast Guard Administration patrol boat, in an action to protect Taiwan fishing boats, confronted two Japanese patrol boats for eight hours on Saturday in waters near the Diaoyutais, which are claimed by both Taiwan and Japan.
Chen called for a consensus to be reached within the country before the Taiwan-Japan fishery talks.
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
Celebrations marking Double Ten National Day are to begin in Taipei today before culminating in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on the night of Thursday next week. To start the celebrations, a concert is to be held at the Taipei Dome at 4pm today, featuring a lineup of award-winning singers, including Jody Chiang (江蕙), Samingad (紀曉君) and Huang Fei (黃妃), Taipei tourism bureau official Chueh Yu-ling (闕玉玲) told a news conference yesterday. School choirs, including the Pqwasan na Taoshan Choir and Hngzyang na Matui & Nahuy Children’s Choir, and the Ministry of National Defense Symphony Orchestra, flag presentation unit and choirs,
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