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New foreign minister vows to protect Diaoyutais fishing rights

ROC Central News Agency

2012/09/27 19:19:34

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) Taiwan's new foreign minister David Y.L. Lin reiterated the country's territorial claim over the Diaoyutai Islands and vowed to protect Taiwanese fishing rights there, shortly after he assumed his duties Thursday.

Lin, who returned from Europe earlier in the day to attend the handover ceremony, said that Taiwan will continue to negotiate with Japan to address issues such as fishing rights in waters off the disputed islands.

It is important that "both sides can shelve their differences and show restraint to jointly promote peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," he told the local media after the ceremony.

"This is our consistent stance," Lin said.

He also urged Japan to pay more attention to the East China Sea Peace Initiative proposed by President Ma Ying-jeou to resolve the dispute through peaceful means.

"We hope progress will be made (on the issue)," said Lin, who has spent more than 30 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During his five-minute speech at the ceremony, Lin said he will continue efforts to improve Taiwan's relations with other countries, expand Taiwan's international space and increase Taiwan's participation in the regional economy.

Lin succeeds Timothy Yang, who took up the position of Presidential Office secretary-general the same day.

Lin, 62, served as Taiwan's representative to the European Union and Belgium from May 2010, before being promoted to the post of foreign minister.

His previous posts include vice foreign minister and director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, Texas.

The uninhabited Diaoyutai Islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, lie about 100 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan. They have been under Japan's control since 1972, but are also claimed by Taiwan and China.

Tension over the Diaoyutais has escalated since Sept. 11, when Japan moved to nationalize the island group by buying three of its islets from a private owner, spurring anti-Japanese protests in many Chinese cities, as well as in Hong Kong and Taipei.

A flotilla of 75 Taiwanese fishing boats, escorted by coast guard vessels, sailed close to the islets Tuesday to assert Taiwan's sovereignty over the archipelago and their right to fish there. The action led to an altercation between Taiwanese and Japanese coast guard vessels that involved the use of water cannons.

(By Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/npw