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China, Japan dispute over Diaoyutais regular occurrence

ROC Central News Agency

2017/07/25 20:19:22

Taipei, July 25 (CNA) The continuing dispute between China and Japan over sovereignty of the Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea has become a regular occurrence since Tokyo made moves to nationalize the island chain in 2012, a senior Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official has said.

Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), vice minister and spokesman of the Cabinet-level council, cited data revealing an increasing frequency of Chinese military aircraft and government vessels entering the area surrounding the disputed archipelago, as well as Japan's responses with its military craft over the past five years, to back his point of view.

He said that since Japan announced on Sept. 11, 2012 its nationalization of the islands -- known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China -- by buying three of the uninhabited islets from their private owner, the number of Japanese military aircraft taking off in response to Chinese movements in the disputed waters has surged from 156 to 851 in 2016.

This indicates that "disputes between the two parties over the Diaoyutais have become regular," said Chiu in his introductory speech at a seminar on the new East Asian situation and Taiwan's response strategies in Taipei on Monday.

The Diaoyutais, which lie about 100 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan, have been under Japan's administrative control since 1972, but are also claimed by Taiwan and China.

Taiwan's former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) put forth an East China Sea peace initiative during his tenure between 2008 and 2016, which called for all the parties concerned to resolve their territorial disputes through peaceful means.

Chiu suggested in his speech that on this issue, Taiwan should play the role of a defender of the peace and a communicator, to maintain the peace and stability between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and in the rest of the region.

(By Yang Sheng-ju and Elizabeth Hsu)
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