The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government had overreacted by recalling the nation’s representative to Japan.
Koh Se-kai (許世楷) was recalled on Saturday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) over the sinking of a Taiwanese fishing boat sank last Tuesday following a colliding with a Japanese patrol vessel in the waters near the Diaoyutai (釣魚台) islands.
“The government should have been more cautious regarding the dispute between the two countries. The recall of the representative in Japan is an overreaction,” DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told reporters yesterday.
The government initially took no action in response to the incident but criticism for perceived weakness led it to overeact by recalling Koh, Tsai said. She said she was concerned about the government’s ability to handle the dispute.
Koh’s return marks the first time in recent years that Taiwan has recalled its representative to Japan. Koh was appointed as the top representative to Japan in July 2004 by then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
DPP Caucus Whip William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said his party was concerned the government’s action may damage the relationship between Taiwan and Japan.
Lai said that the KMT government had not followed diplomatic norms, noting that negotiations should precede a decision to recall a representative.
The government seemed to have shifted all responsibility for the incident to Koh, and took the opportunity to replace him, Lai said.
Although the government can replace Koh at any time, it was unacceptable to use the incident as an excuse to ease him out, Lai said.
At a separate setting yesterday, American Institute in Taiwan Director Stephen Young said the US would not interfere in the dispute.
“As the US has good relations with both Taiwan and Japan, we do not want to step into the problem,” Young said in response to reporters’ questions. “I don’t think that is necessary.”
Young said he regretted that someone was hurt in the accident and that the Taiwanese boat sank but said he was confident the dispute could be resolved amicably.
“I think Taiwan and Japan are able to solve the problem peacefully through dialogue as the two countries have been so closely connected in history,” he said.
The incident has sparked renewed discussion on the sovereignty of the Diaoyutais, which are claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan. The waters around the island group have traditionally been used by Taiwanese fishermen.
Taiwan and Japan held a round of fishing industry talks in July 2005 to try to resolve recurring disputes and agreed to hold the next round of dialogue in March 2006, but the talks never took place.
Yonghe (永和) People First Party councilor Huang Hsi-lin (黃錫麟) yesterday said he was leading a team of 10 people to Diaoyutai to claim Taiwan’s sovereignty of the islands.
His boat was due to depart from Taipei County’s Shenao (深澳) at 10pm.
He said the team might land to raise the nation’s flag on the island, but added he hoped the protest would be peaceful.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS