Taiwan to lodge strong protest with Japan for fishing boat detention
ROC Central News Agency
2016/04/28 13:51:59
Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Foreign Affairs Minister David Lin (林永樂) will summon Japan's representative to Taiwan Friday to convey Taiwan's strong protest against the Japanese coast guard's detention of a Taiwanese fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean early this week.
It is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA's) actions to make a strong representation to Japan over the detention, which occurred Monday in waters 150 nautical miles east-southeast of Okinotori, an uninhabited atoll that belongs to Japan, after President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) instructed the ministry the previous day to do so.
On Thursday, Taiwan representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳) was set to take the lead in Tokyo to spell out the protest to the Japanese side, according to MOFA.
The "Tung Sheng Chi No. 16," which is registered in Pingtung County, was detained by the Japanese coast guard early Monday in waters that Taiwan considers to be part of the high seas.
Taiwan government has since the 1990s defined Okinotori as an atoll, while Japan defines it as an island, said Tsai Ming-yaw (蔡明耀), secretary-general of the Association of East Asian Relations, which is in charge of ties with Japan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, at a press briefing at MOFA Thursday.
"An atoll is not entitled to an (200-nautical-mile) exclusive economic zone," Tsai contended, noting that people have the right to fish on the high seas.
Asked whether Taiwanese fishermen can still operate in the disputed area, Tsai reiterated that as long as it is on the high seas, people have the right to fish, and that the government will spare no efforts to protect fishermen's rights and benefits.
It is the duty of the Fisheries Agency and the Coast Guard Administration to safeguard fishing rights, and MOFA is responsible for diplomatic negotiations, he added.
Therefore, Shen will first express Taiwan's stance to his counterparts in Tokyo, while Lin will summon Mikio Numata, head of Japan's mission in Taiwan, for Friday's meeting, he said.
However, despite the case having caused an unpleasant atmosphere between Taiwan and Japan, the government will still continue to promote relations between the two countries, while safeguarding people's rights and benefits, Tsai said.
Ma issued a stern statement Wednesday condemning Japan's detention of the Taiwanese fishing boat. He pledged to safeguard Taiwanese fishermen's rights while expressing opposition to "Japan's illegal expansion of power."
Citing Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Ma said that Okinotori is a "reef" and not an "island," because it is less than 3 pings (9.9 square meters) in area and cannot sustain human habitation and economic life.
Therefore, Japan cannot claim rights over an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and a continental shelf, Ma said.
Article 121 of the convention states that "rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf."
(By Tang Pei-chun and Elizabeth Hsu)
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