The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it would continue to negotiate with the US regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), after US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said during a visit to Tokyo that the disputed island chain falls under the auspices of a Japan-US security treaty.
The Diaoyutais, as affiliated islands of Taiwan, are under the jurisdiction of Yilan County and the Republic of China’s (ROC) sovereignty over them is undisputed based on their location, historical evidence, geological composition and international law, ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang (王珮玲) said in a news release.
“Since 1971, the US has repeatedly reiterated that the transfer of administrative rights over the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan did not touch upon the sovereignty issue. Washington also formally notified us on May 26, 1971, that the transfer did not damage the ROC’s relevant sovereignty claims,” Wang said.
Photo: CNA
The islands, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, have been under Tokyo’s control since 1972, but are also claimed by Taipei and Beijing.
Debate over the archipelago was renewed after Japan nationalized three islets in 2012.
The ministry issued the remarks after Mattis reaffirmed the US’ commitment to defending Japan under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, which he said also applied to the Senkakus.
The US has maintained its neutrality on the issue and reiterated on multiple occasions that it would not take a stance on the ultimate sovereignty of the territory, Wang said.
The government remains firm in its stance that the international dispute caused by the Diaoyutai Islands should be solved peacefully based on the UN Charter and relevant international laws, she said.
“We will continue to communicate with the US and explain our sovereignty claims,” she said, adding that the government remains committed to its pledge of being willing to engage in dialogue with concerned parties and help maintain regional peace.
SHOW OF SUPPORT: As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan might collaborate with Manila against China’s aggressive actions, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday hinted that Taiwan might join forces with the Philippines to protect navigational freedoms, days after Beijing blocked Philippine supply ships in the South China Sea. The ministry made the comment when asked whether Taipei would be willing to join forces with the Philippines to protect the latter from increasingly aggressive activities by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard. Taiwan “is willing to cooperate with any other nation with shared values in areas of common concern, including maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacfic region,” it wrote in a statement. A Chinese
‘LIKE A BLACK HOLE’: The figure is about 7% of China’s reported military spending, although diplomats and experts say that number is often opaque or not fully inclusive China spent about US$15 billion, or 7 percent of its defense budget, on exercises in the western Pacific last year, according to a previously unpublished Taiwanese estimate, showing Beijing’s investment in military activity around Taiwan and its neighbors. The internal research by the military, reviewed by Reuters, offers a rare look into a slice of China’s defense spending as Beijing has ramped up its military presence amid rising tensions in the region. China claims Taiwan as its own and is also locked in disputes with several nations over sovereignty of large parts of the South China Sea and the East China Sea. “This
‘GLOBAL THREAT’: MOFA said that it welcomes the ‘staunch US support’ and that ‘China again made spurious claims about Taiwan that do not accord with reality’ US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait, while a senior Chinese military official warned the US to stop “collusion” with Taiwan in a rare one-on-one meeting yesterday, both sides said. Sullivan arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, the first US national security adviser to visit China since 2016, for three days of talks with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) and other high-ranking officials. Yesterday morning, Sullivan met with Zhang Youxia (張又俠), vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and China’s second-highest-ranking military official, at the Beijing headquarters of the commission.
PRESSURE: The Solomon Islands, acting under explicit instructions from Beijing, is aiming to prevent Taiwan from attending the next forum to be held in Honiara Australia has voiced support for Taiwan despite the Solomon Islands’ plan to undermine Taiwan’s status as an observer at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The forum is one of the most important international organizations in the Pacific region, made up of 18 member states, including Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan’s Pacific allies, associate members and observers, along with “dialogue partners” such as the US, Japan, Canada and the EU. The 53rd edition of the forum opened in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, yesterday. Taiwan has been taking part in the forum and related events as a “developmental partner” under the name Taiwan / Republic of