President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday cited historical references to defend the nation’s sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) and said that the government would not compromise in the fight over the islands’ sovereignty.
In discussing the sovereignty disputes over the islands, Ma said the disputed Diaoyutais fell under the administration of the Qing Dynasty until they were taken by Japan after 1895, and cited the Shanghai-based daily Shun Pao’s report on Japan’s attempts to occupy the Diaoyutai Islands on Sept. 6, 1885.
Although the Qing Dynasty knew about Japan’s attempt to occupy the islands, the Diaoyutais were occupied by the Japanese without the knowledge of the Qing government at some point after 1895, while Taiwan was ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki at the end of the first Sino-Japanese War.
“We do not recognize the Japanese occupation because it is invalid under international law ... The Republic of China government will fight for every inch of our territory to defend our sovereignty,” he told a seminar organized by Academia Historica.
In the wake of the Japanese government’s decision to ignore protests from Taiwan and China and proceed with its plan to buy three of the disputed islands from their private owner for ￥2.05 billion (US$26 million), Ma renewed his proposal for the three countries to put aside disputes and jointly develop the resource-rich area.
“If we can all acknowledge the sovereignty disputes, put the issue aside and focus our efforts on developing the resources there, I believe it will contribute to regional peace and stability,” he said.
Amid ongoing disputes over the sovereignty of the islands, Representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳) has been ordered back to Taiwan to provide the government with a full briefing. He presented a report on the situation to Ma, Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添).
Presidential Office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi (范姜泰基) said Ma had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek Japan’s support for his proposed “East China Sea peace initiative.”
He said Ma expected bilateral exchanges to be continue despite the sovereignty disputes.
The president also pledged to protect the rights of local fishermen who conducted fishing activities around the Diaoyutais, he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS