The new government resolved to safeguard the livelihood of Taiwanese fisherman Tuesday after Japanese media reports indicated a policy shift in maritime patrols surrounding the open waters of Okinotori atoll that were instituted weeks before under the Ma administration.
In an apparent reversal of the previous administration’s policies, Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan said Tuesday that the government had no “specific position” on whether the Okinotori atoll constitutes an island. It represented a reiteration of a statement first made by the Cabinet on Monday evening concerning the new government’s position on the area.
Asked whether the new stance meant recognition of Japan’s claim to waters around the atoll, Tung said the government would not take a position until the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLSC) had ruled on the area’s legal status. Japan claims that Okinotori is an island and is thus entitled to a 200-kilometer exclusive economic zone. The new government contends that the matter over the area’s legal definition is unresolved.
Tung’s statement came after Japanese media reported Monday that Taiwan’s Coast Guard would withdraw patrols from the vicinity of Okinotori because of the new administration’s stance.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dismissed the reports, saying in a statement that it always intended to conclude the patrols on May 31, and that the Okinotori area would subsequently be added to annual patrol zones to protect the interests of Taiwanese fishermen. However, while rejecting claims of patrol changes, the CGA statement refers to Okinotori as an island, reflecting a possible shift in the government’s approach to maritime and fishing-related disputes with Japan.
Presidential Office Spokesman Alex Huang stated that the government has scheduled negotiations with Japan for the end of July on the matter of fishing rights, resolving that it would “stick to its ground” in bilateral talks. He said that the administration was optimistic that talks with Japan would serve to guarantee the greatest advantage for the nation’s fishermen.
1999 2016 The China Post