Representatives from Taiwan and Japan on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on tackling marine debris during a round of discussions in Tokyo on maritime affairs.
The MOU was signed by Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Chairman Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Mitsuo Ohashi.
Under the MOU, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association would request cooperation from Taiwan’s Ocean Conservation Administration, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association and agencies of the Japanese Ministry of Environment to push forward exchanges and cooperation on researching techniques for surveying and cleaning marine debris, with the aim of reducing synthetic waste in the ocean.
Photo: CNA
The two associations should be in constant communication over issues related to marine debris, and should exchange the latest information regarding surveying and cleaning techniques, the MOU said.
Japan and Taiwan have received acclaim for their work to address maritime affairs under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), which they jointly founded with the US and Australia, Ohashi said in a speech.
The MOU seeks to build on the achievements of the GCTF to deepen the mutually beneficial partnership between Taiwan and Japan while tackling these matters, he added.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan donated masks and pulse oximeters to Japan, which later donated AstraZeneca vaccines to Taiwan, Su said.
This underscored the deep friendship between the two countries, Su said, adding he believes that with sincerity and mutual trust any unresolved issues can be settled in a mutually advantageous way.
Issues covered by this year’s discussions on maritime affairs included cooperation in marine ecology, maritime security, marine science and fishery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The two sides also discussed the Okinotori atoll issue during the meeting, but have yet to arrive at a consensus, the ministry said.
The classification of the Japan-held Okinotori atoll, which Tokyo calls Okinotori Island, in 2016 prompted the establishment of the dialogue between the two associations, as it relates to the demarcation of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, which substantially overlaps that of Taiwan.
Japan’s Coast Guard in April 2016 seized a Taiwanese fishing boat operating 277.8km east-southeast of the atoll, which prompted the Coast Guard Administration and the Council of Agriculture to each dispatch a ship to escort fishing boats out of the contested waters.
Although the two sides did not reach a consensus on the atoll dispute during the latest round of discussions, they agreed to continue the dialogue for further cooperation on fishery matters, the ministry said.
They also agreed to hold another round of discussions on maritime affairs in Taipei next year, it said.
The dialogue was last held in Taipei in 2019, but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that a surge in respiratory illnesses in China has been caused by at least seven types of pathogens, and small children, elderly people and immunocompromised people should temporarily avoid unnecessary visits to China. The recent outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China is mainly in the north and among children, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said on Monday. Data released by the Chinese National Health Commission on Sunday showed that among children aged one to four, the main pathogens were influenza viruses and rhinoviruses, while among children aged five to 14, the main pathogens
A new poll of Taiwanese voters found the top opposition candidate for president jumping past the ruling party’s hopeful into the lead position ahead of January’s election — the latest twist in a drama-filled race. Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had an approval rating of 31.9 percent versus 29.2 percent for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the poll released yesterday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed. The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), ranked third with 23.6 percent, according to the survey conducted
A New Taipei City hotpot restaurant could be fined after a rat dropped from the ceiling and landed on a customer’s plate last week, the New Taipei City Department of Health said yesterday after conducting an inspection. A woman recently posted on the “I am a Banciao resident” (我是板橋人) social media group saying that she had been eating with a friend at Chien Tu Shabu Shabu Hotpot Restaurant’s Shuangshi B branch in Banciao District (板橋). “While still eating, a big rat suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, landing on a plate next to a hotpot,” she said. “Later on, a member of
Actress Hu Ling (胡伶) on Saturday became the first Chinese movie star to walk the red carpet of the Golden Horse Awards since 2019, when China boycotted Taiwan’s biggest awards show over political tensions. Beijing banned its entertainers from joining the awards, dubbed the Chinese-language Oscars, after documentary director Fu Yu (傅榆) voiced support for Taiwan’s formal independence in an acceptance speech in 2018. There were no films from China in the 2019 nomination list and several Hong Kong movies dropped out that year, while several big commercial productions were conspicuously absent at both the 2020 and 2021 awards. However, Hu, nominated for