Taiwan states it will not collaborate with China over Senkaku-Diaoyu dispute

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Ida Torres in Features, Politics with 13 Comments
Taiwan states it will not collaborate with China over Senkaku-Diaoyu dispute

Taiwan has reiterated that they will not be siding with China when it comes to the issue of the disputed islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China, and Diaoyutai in Taiwan. For them, it is “crystal clear” that the islands are part of their inherent territory.

A day earlier, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou ruled out any sort of collaboration between Taiwan and China. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Steve Hsia said that their sovereignty is the premise for renewing fishery talks with Japan, who have administrative control over the islands since 1972. Ma said that it’s unlikely they will back out of this stance, citing three reasons for their adamant stand. First, he says that China’s denial of the Treaty of Taipei signed by Taiwan and Japan has made it difficult for the two to work on their issues. The treaty signed in 1952 saw Japan renounce all rights, titles and claim to Taiwan, Penghu, the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands. The second reason is that China has yet to respond to his “East China Sea Peace Initiative” proposal, a two stage approach to settling the island dispute between the three claimants. The initiative also calls for peaceful means to dealing with the tensions between the three nations, avoiding provocation and observing international law. Lastly, Ma says that China’s call for Taiwan not to touch on sovereignty issues with their fishing rights talks with Japan is irrational. “Without sovereignty, there would be no fishing rights in the Diaoyutai area,” Ma said.

The preparatory meeting for the fishery talks between the two will take place late February or early March. This is to negotiate fishing rights in the areas near the islands, which is closer to Taiwan than either China or Japan, but the Taiwanese fisherman have been unable to fish there for decades due to Japan’s administrative control.

[ via Focus Taiwan ]
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  • A.C.

    So it’s getting more complex, and more interesting then … Hard to believe the government in Beijing will accept this position – after all, the status of Taiwan is as disputed as is the Senkaku’s/Diaoyus.

  • Far East

    Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou says China’s denial of the Treaty of Taipei signed by Taiwan and Japan has made it difficult for the two to work on their issues. 
    Yes, that’s where the issue is, ie China refuses to recognize that Japan and Taiwan signed the equivalent of the San Francisco a few days before it went in force in 1952.
    At least Japan can make deal with Taiwan, who has friendly relationship. Not like the corrupt and belligerent Chinese Government who has no word, and cannot be trusted. They just want the oil there is underground. Everything else is just an excuse. 

    • Banlas theway

      This little Japanese pig is still talking nonsense. Better to be roasted and let the Filipinos feast on it.

      • Banlas thetroll

        Do us a favor and drown yourself in the chinese river. Take your family along with you.

    • stocktonabby

      My azz!!!

  • Some clarification

    Nonesense. This article seems to avoid the fact that the Taiwanese insists the the Diaoyu/Senkaku is part of Taiwan (official name: Republic of China). In the first paragraph, this article writes, “”crystal clear” that the islands are part of their inherent territory.” Who is “their inherent territory”? Japanese inherent territory? It takes almost some sorting out the English to figure it means Taiwan’s (or Republic of China) inherent territory. The Taiwanese are as adament as the mainland Chinese in insisting that Japan relent on the islands, the difference being that Taiwan is smaller and cannot actually challenge Japan militarily, hence more diplomacy from Taiwan. But make no mistake, anti-Japanese sentiment in Taiwan is on the rise as Japan refuses to relent on the islands. The Taiwan government has made it very clear that Diaoyu/Senkaku islands does not belong to Japan.

    • Jason P

      Are you a female?

    • Truth

      Unfortunately, on one hand, the legal principle of ‘first come first serve’ applies and, on the other, problems have always existed about Taiwan’s legal standing.

      Japan made the first claim according to International Law and did it by following all required protocols. They surveyed the island for 10 years during which no evidence of occupation or use was discovered.

      Let’s be honest, it only became an issue since the UN proposed there were oil and gas reserves and now Taiwanese government wants a piece of the action.

      But what can Japan do? If it does a deal with Taiwan, then Mainland China will stake its claim on Taiwan. Unfortunately, Taiwan has to sort that one out first.

      Personally, I see Taiwan is a separate nation now and China is being equally ridiculous with its aggressive claims towards Taiwan. Taiwan would be far better off coming into the US-ROK-Japan sphere but what can it do? In 1,000 years you’ll still find some idiot like Chinditone coming along claiming Taiwan is really Chinese.

  • Clarification

    Nonesense. This article seems to imply that Taiwan is now seemingly conceding to Japan’s claim to the Diaoyu/Diaoyutai/Senkaku islands. Note: First paragraph, you had to pause for a moment to even figure out what it is saying. The sentence reads, “that it is “crystal clear” that the islands are part of their inherent territory.” Who’s inherent territory? Japan’s? or Taiwan’s? While trying to be objective, the article seemingly fudged Taiwan’s claim to the islands. Taiwan’s inability to work with China on this issue to resist Japan’s occupation does not stem from its desire to concede the islands to Japan, rather, because of ideological differences between Taiwan and China that has to be worked out. Taiwan is also smaller geographically and has not China’s military might to challenge Japan, at least militarily for the foreseeable future, hence, Taiwan’s more diplomatic tone with Japan. But make no mistake, Taiwan does not view that Japan has a legitimate claim over the islands, and for many Taiwanese, for the first time in a long time, anti-Japanese sentiment is up.

  • sidewinder

    Maybe they should side with China and Russia and teach Japan a lesson. They might even stop whaling in the process…

    • alfred e newman

      or side against china and give up phoney claim

  • tunfun

    Japanese unilateral aggression on Diaoyu Islands has broken the peaceful joint development. Chinese on both sides of Taiwan strait should not allow Japanese to claim their rape victims as prostitutes and to avoid responsibilities for the world crimes in Nankins.

    Will any other nations allow this kind of aggression to be successful on their countries?. Taiwan does not join action with China, only if Taiwan alone could successfully defend the sovereignty of Diaoyu Islands.

    • Truth

      The Senkakus were legally established as Japanese sovereign territory in 1895. It is Japanese waters which are being invaded.

      To stop aggression, all China has to do is stay at home.

      China is acting like an aggressive and threatening gangster, to grab Japanese gas and oil, because it knows that if it goes to the International Court of Justice — it was lose.