President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is to unveil a monument to his East China Sea peace initiative when he visits an islet near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) today, ahead of the third anniversary of an agreement between Taiwan and Japan to address fishing disputes in overlapping waters.
Ma is to host the unveiling ceremony on Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼), situated just over 30 nautical miles (55.5km) north of Keelung and 76 nautical miles west of the Diaoyutais in the East China Sea.
Under the administrative jurisdiction of Keelung City, Pengjia Islet is Taiwan’s northernmost territory that is closest to the contested island chain.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
After he arrives on the islet on an S-70C helicopter, Ma is to inspect a weather observation station and a patrol station, as well as tour a lighthouse. He is then to unveil the monument to his East China Sea peace initiative and give a speech.
Ma last visited Pengjia in September 2012, during which he laid out the details of his East China Sea peace initiative. Ma came up with the peace proposal in August 2012 amid escalating spats over the Diaoyutais, known as the Senkakus in Japan.
While reaffirming Taiwan’s claim to the Diaoyutais, Ma also called for all claimants to shelve their differences, pursue peace and reciprocity and jointly explore the resources in the area.
The Diaoyutais, about 120 nautical miles northeast of Taipei, are also claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu Islands (釣魚嶼).
In an effort to address fishing disputes in waters near the Diaoyutais, Taiwan and Japan signed a fishery agreement April 10, 2013. Under the terms of the agreement, Taiwanese and Japanese fishermen are allowed to fish in a designated area in the region.
Ma’s visit to Pengjia Islet will come just one day before the anniversary of the agreement. He is to be accompanied by senior government officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Council of Agriculture and the Coast Guard Administration.
Personnel from the Coast Guard, the Customs Administration and the Central Weather Bureau are stationed on Pengjia. Meanwhile, Ma yesterday spoke at a workshop on the South China Sea at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ma in his speech yesterday reiterated the government’s contention that from the perspectives of history, geography and international law, the Republic of China has sovereignty over the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島), Macclesfield Bank (Zhongsha Islands, 中沙群島) and Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea, and their waters.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
Former Taiwan People’s Party chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) may apply to visit home following the death of his father this morning, the Taipei Detention Center said. Ko’s father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), passed away at 8:40am today at the Hsinchu branch of National Taiwan University Hospital. He was 94 years old. The center said Ko Wen-je was welcome to apply, but declined to say whether it had already received an application. The center also provides psychological counseling to people in detention as needed, it added, also declining to comment on Ko Wen-je’s mental state. Ko Wen-je is being held in detention as he awaits trial
RSS