Taiwanese and Japanese officials are to hold their first dialogue on maritime cooperation late next month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
The ministry issued a statement after officials of Taiwan’s Association of East Asian Relations, which handles ties with Japan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, and their counterparts at Japan’s Interchange Association, including Japanese representative to Taiwan Mikio Numata, held a preparatory meeting earlier in the day on the issue.
Association of East Asian Relations President Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) said he believes next month’s dialogue would contribute to promoting bilateral ties, narrowing differences on controversial issues and increasing regional security and stability.
A fishing dispute erupted after a Taiwanese fishing boat was detained on April 25 by Japan on high seas near the Japan-controlled Okinotori atoll, 1,600km east of Taiwan.
The administration of then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) lodged a protest with Japan after Japanese authorities refused to release the boat until its owner paid a security deposit of ￥6 million (US$54,000).
Japan defines the atoll as an island and thus entitled to a 200 nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone.
Taiwan maintains that it is not an island because it cannot sustain human habitation and has accused Japan of carrying out land reclamation to expand the atoll.
Association of East Asian Relations Secretary-General Peter Tsai (蔡明耀) on May 31 said that the goal of the upcoming maritime negotiations is to allow Taiwanese fishermen to fish in waters near the atoll.
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