PoliticsROC reaffirms sovereignty over Diaoyutais The MOFA urges Japan to respect ROC sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Archipelago and avoid actions that could undermine robust Taipei-Tokyo relations. (CNA)
The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed national sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Archipelago June 27, urging Japan to exercise self-restraint and not undermine Taipei-Tokyo ties. “The Diaoyutais are an inalienable part of ROC territory and we continue to exercise full sovereignty,” MOFA Minister Timothy Chin-tien Yang said. According to Yang, the gravity of this issue was explained in no uncertain terms by Huang Ming-lung, secretary-general of the Association of East Asian Relations, to Kenichi Okada, secretary-general of Japan’s Interchange Association, during a meeting in Taipei City. The associations oversee Taiwan-Japan ties in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. Yang’s remarks follow the news that eight Tokyo parliamentarians sailed to the Diaoyutais June 26 to assess fishing grounds, the second incident in 24 hours involving Japan and the island group. Earlier in the day, a Japan Coast Guard cutter reportedly ordered an ROC Coast Guard Administration vessel patrolling the Diaoyutais to leave the waters surrounding the archipelago. The MOFA later refused to accept an IA protest over the incident, stating that it is normal for the coast guard to operate in ROC territory and Tokyo must avoid actions impinging upon national sovereignty. Echoing the MOFA statement, coast guard officials said Japanese media reports of the incident were inaccurate and that its vessel left the area only after completing a routine patrol, not because it was directed to do so. The Diaoyutais are an uninhabited archipelago located roughly 170 kilometers northeast of Taiwan proper. The tiny island group is historically attached to the ROC and includes Diaoyutai Island and the islets of Huangwei and Chiwei. (JSM) Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw |
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