The talks Taipei has had with Manila regarding the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28 incident and related issues were “a matter between the Republic of China (ROC) and the Philippines,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Anna Kao (高安) said yesterday. Kao said the ROC does not accept the “one China” policy being applied to talks conducted between the ROC and the Philippines because they “have nothing to do with ‘one China.’”
She made the remarks when asked about a statement the Chinese embassy in Manila made on Tuesday to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which the newspaper reported yesterday, that governments should defer to Beijing’s “one China” policy.
Kao said that the ministry was still looking into the authenticity of the statement.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer said the Chinese embassy made the statement when asked by the newspaper to comment on the start of Manila and Taipei’s fishery talks.
“The Chinese government has no objection to the non-governmental 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 (張華) said.
“We have always required and hoped that the countries that have established diplomatic relations with China abide by their commitments to adhere to the ‘one China’ policy,” Zhang said, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Officials from Taipei and Manila reached a consensus at a meeting last week on four points on dealing with fishing disputes in overlapping waters to prevent a repeat of the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28 incident in which Philippine Coast Guard personnel shot at the Taiwanese boat, killing fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成).
Included in the consensus was a pledge to refrain from the use of force or violence against fishermen from the other side when handling fishing disputes in overlapping waters and to continue discussions on signing a provisional arrangement on fishing rights in the area.
Both sides have decided to hold another meeting early next month on related issues.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
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