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Taiwan keeping close eye on Japan's moves on Diaoyutais

ROC Central News Agency

2012/09/13 14:34:44

Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) Taiwan is keeping a close eye on Japan's moves on the Diaoyutai Islands row, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Thursday, one day after Taiwan's top envoy to Japan returned home to report on the situation.

"Our government is closely monitoring developments and we will take any necessary measures in response to such developments," MOFA spokesman Steve Hsia said at a news conference. He did not elaborate.

Hsia's remarks came after Taiwan's representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun was recalled in response to Japan's decision two days earlier to buy three privately owned islands in the disputed archipelago in the resource-rich East China Sea.

Shen was asked that day to return home to explain the situation and receive instructions on the government's further responses to the issue, Hsia told the local media.

That same day, Foreign Minister Timothy Yang also summoned Japan's top envoy to Taiwan, Sumio Tarui, to protest the decision by the Japanese government to pay 2.05 billion Japanese yen (US$26 million) for the three islands.

"The ministry and Taiwan's representative office in Japan will keep a close eye on developments," Hsia added.

Reiterating that the Diaoyutais are an inherent part of Republic of China territory, Hsia also said that the country will uphold its sovereignty over the islands when negotiating with Japan on fishing rights.

Taiwan and Japan are currently negotiating on the timing for the next round of talks on fishing rights, Hsia said, adding that there is no timetable as yet.

Japan's sincerity and goodwill is the key to determining when the two countries will hold the 17th round of bilateral talks on fishing rights, he added.

The 17th round of talks between Taiwan and Japan on fishing rights in their overlapping territories has been long delayed since the two sides have stuck to their own proposals to resolve cross-border fishery disputes.

Taiwan will stick with the principles of safeguarding sovereignty, shelving differences, pursuing peace and reciprocity and jointly exploring resources to peacefully and rationally resolve the territorial disputes among the concerned parties, he said.

The Diaoyutai Islands, called the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, lie about 100 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan. The island group is under administrative control by Japan, but is also claimed by Taiwan and China.

(By Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/J