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`One China' not relevant to fishery talks with Philippines: MOFA

ROC Central News Agency

2013/06/20 19:04:19

Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Fishery talks between Taiwan and the Philippines have nothing to do with Beijing's "one China" policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Kao said late Wednesday.

"The talks are a matter between the Republic of China and the Philippines and have been proceeding without disruption," Kao said.

She was responding to press inquiries about the government's stance toward a Philippine media report that China opposes foreign countries having official contacts with Taiwan or signing agreements with sovereign implications.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported Wednesday that the Chinese embassy in Manila has called on countries with diplomatic ties with Beijing to defer to its "one China" policy.

The Manila-based daily said the Chinese embassy made the statement when asked by the paper a day earlier to comment on the start of fishery talks between Taipei and Manila.

"The Chinese government has no objection to non-government economic and cultural contacts between Taiwan and foreign countries that have diplomatic relations with China, but we oppose foreign countries and Taiwan having official exchanges or signing agreements with sovereign and official implications," Chinese embassy spokesperson Zhang Hua said.

"We have always required and hoped that countries that have diplomatic relations with China will abide by their commitments to adhere to the 'one China' policy," Zhang was quoted by the paper as saying.

Kao said the MOFA was looking into the authenticity of the Chinese embassy statement.

If the Chinese embassy indeed made such a statement, Kao said, the ROC government will not accept such rhetoric.

Kao stressed that the fishery talks between the ROC and the Philippines have nothing to do with Beijing's "one China" policy.

Taiwanese and Filipino officials met in Manila June 14 to prepare for negotiations on a fishery agreement aimed at preventing a recurrence of the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by Philippine Coast Guard officers in May.

The two sides reached an initial consensus on many points at the preparatory meeting, including no use of force and violence in policing their respective fishing grounds in the future.

Kao said the government hopes a mechanism can be worked out through bilateral talks to prevent recurrence of incidents like the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28 tragedy in which a 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman was shot dead by Filipino Coast Guard personnel.

Fishery talks with the Philippines are also part of the government's efforts to protect local fishermen's rights and safety as well as defend territorial sovereignty, she added.

(By Rogge Chen and Sofia Wu)