Ilan fishermen held captive on Japan and fined $660,000 NT. Taiwan fishing boats flying PRC flags. PRC foreign minister speaking on behalf of ROC fishing rights in disputed waters. Taiwan war boat sent in to intimidate Japanese Coast Guards.
If this is ROC closest ally in the region I really don’t have much confidence in the USA-Japan Joint security statement made a few months ago over their interest in Taiwan.
Looks like hell has just froze over and ROC will try to conquer Japan before moving onto PRC.
What’s next taking on the US 7th fleet while waving the PRC flag on ROC frigates? :loco:
The ship is a pan blue show. Everyone knows that. You don’t hear any angry words about it from Japan, do you? Because everyone knows that nothing will come out of it.
War with Japan? hahaha…the only belligerent words I hear flying are between pan blues and pan greens bickering over the event…and they have already been at war for a while.
It is too hard to confirm if all the fishermen involved in the 50 boat protest were of the Blue political shade.
Japan probably has no angry words now because ROC has already issued an apology to Japan, not to mention the fisherman in question has to pay a fine of 660,000 NT. Kind of hard to stay mad, when an apology and money are offered. Even if the waters are claimed by 3 parties.
What is more shocking is PRC trying to stablize the situation by voicing a position in ROC favor.
What’s shocking about it? Taiwan is part of China, so of course China is against Japan on this.
And the fishermen just want to fish. Blue or green is irrelevant. The frigate junket was demanded by a PFP legislator, who was backed by the KMT’s Wang Jyn-ping, who saw a convenient publicity stunt for his KMT chairmanship bid.
Taiwan knows this, Japan knows this and China knows this.
Pure schoolyard posturing by a bunch of political has-beens. They’re not even taking themselves seriously, so why should anyone else?
The president stated that politicians should not “talk wildly” and said that the call for military action to protect fisheries and the failure to call for military action or protest against China’s anti-separation law reflected a “double standard,”
Chen stated that the question at hand was how to strive to secure the fishing rights of Taiwanese fishermen and that the issue “had no relation to sovereignty.” [/quote]
[quote] english.www.gov.tw/index.jsp?act … naid=10915
“Our stance that the Tiaoyutais belong to the Republic of China has never changed,” Chen was quoted as having said during an informal meeting with mayors and magistrates of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). [/quote]
Reading these two articles I get a mixed messages. CSB stating that ROC should go to war with PRC over sovereignty, but not go to war with Japan over fishing rights. Even though, it is implied that Japan is impeding on ROC sovereignty on Tiaoyutais to have conflicts in fishing rights to begin with.
Declare war on both Japan and PRC, let the fireworks begin. :loco:
So are Taiwanese fishing rights around Diaoyutai due to ROC sovereignty on those rocks, or is because of Taiwan’s colonial period under Japan?
I’m also confused to what has changed recently that sparked the series of events that leading up to the 15th fishery talks between Japan and Taiwan.
Taiwan’s claims to Diaoyutai and the accompanying fishing grounds are due to its de jure status as the Republic of China. The Republic of China is the government of all territories presently occupied by the People’s Republic of China according to the 1947 constitution which is still in effect today. That Taiwanese fisherman are upset is understandable if you look at the geography. Simply going a few miles northeast of Taiwan and you are suddenly in the EEZ claimed by Japan.
Japan uses its sovreignty on several uninhabited outlying islands to extend claims of its EEZ almost directly adjacent to Taiwan itself. The circle in the southeast portion of the map marked okinotori is also being contested by the PRC in addition to Diaoyutai. Though in that case, they are not claiming the islands themselves as territory, but rather they are rocks and do not qualify as islands, thus no 200 mile EEZ and only an 8 mile territorial sea.
Here is a great quote from Taiwan’s Vice President Annette Lu from this article in the Taipei Times. Her quote is a response to Mayor Ma calling President Chen a coward. taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003260506 [quote]Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday that she thinks “Ma is the one who is weak.”
“Why stand up for safeguarding the Diaoyutais yet not do the same for Taiwan?” Lu said. “Why didn’t Ma march together with the million people who protested against the Anti-Secession’ Law when Beijing enacted it in March?”
“Where were these people when back when it was more necessary to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty?” Lu said. “Who is a coward and who is valiant?” [/quote]
In another article it says that the USA gave Okinawa and the Diaoyutais back to Japan a long time ago and Taiwan can no longer make a claim for them despite KMT Wang’s claim. Did anyone see the news story showing the DPP’s Tsai making fun of Wang? Sounded kind of funny in the article here taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003260500
It seems that politicians on both side of the aisles in Taiwan like to engage in colorful name calling to say the least.
If we conclude that both Japan and PRC are impeding on ROC sovereignty, then I agree equal action should be taken. CSB administration could approve of a march against Japan in Taipei.
But obviously there is a difference in this dispute with Japan and the dispute with PRC, since no one in the ROC has deliberately used military equipment as a show of force against PRC either. Nor was there any news on Taiwan when Japan expanded its EEZ 30 some odd km off Taiwan island shores.
Visser: your repeated use of ROC in reference to Taiwan belies that you are at least a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporter or worse, which proves my point that most of this flap over the Senkakus/Diaoyutais is a way to drive a wedge between Taiwan and its staunch ally the Japanese and damage the DPP too if possible.
President Chen wouldn’t organize a march against the Japanese because this is not such a major issue. Communist China threatening Taiwan’s sovereignty in the UN and with allies and enemies alike all over the world is something to protest about, not to mention the WHO and so on. China is the enemy Japan is Taiwan’s friend. The ocean is vast my friend, there are plenty of other places for Taiwan’s fishermen to cast their nets and 4.1% is nothing to worry about.
[quote=“Hobart”]Visser: your repeated use of ROC in reference to Taiwan belies that you are at least a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporter or worse[/quote]Not to mention the use of “on Taiwan”…
I’m slightly confused. How does discussing Japan’s and Taiwan’s claim to Diaoyutai and the negative effect it is having on the livelihood Taiwanese fishermen “driving a wedge” between Japan and Taiwan.
If Taiwan is truly determined to establish itself as a normal nation again, then it will need to protect itself from States that try to encroach on its sovereignty and territorial claims. Allies and Enemies alike.
It is in my view that it is not good policy to allow either PRC or Japan impeded on the sovereignty of Taiwan. Especially when those encroachments directly impact the livelihoods of average Taiwanese citizens in a negative manner.
Before Taiwan engages Japan militarily, as some have called for, I think it would be best to buy some more weapons from the US first. Oh yeah, there’s an arms package waiting for the procedural committee of the Legislative Yuan to put it on the agenda. Once that happens, it can be quickly approved, and maybe the weapons can be delivered ahead of schedule. Then Taiwan could be fully prepared to go to war with Japan to protect our fishermen and territory. Any leftover weapons could be held in reserve to fight the communist bandits across the strait. A win-win situation for everyone. Yeah!
Too bad TWN could only send a Knox class frigate. If the budget hadn’t been delayed they could have sent Kidd class which has somewhat better surface to surface capabilites.
“The Diaoyutais belong to us, belong to Taiwan, there is no doubt about it … I’m here to show our determination to protect our territory,” [Pres.] Chen said.[/quote]
Finally the head of state has made it clear in no uncertain terms that the disputed rock belongs to ROC.
He is a brave man to sail into unchartered waters to get up in the face of those Japanese aggressor and set the record straight.
People are usually impressed when a head of state shows up in person to challenge claims to a disputed rock.
[quote]Setting foot on Pengjia islet (彭佳嶼) as the first head of state from Taiwan to ever visit the nation’s northernmost territory, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday reiterated Taiwan’s sovereignty claim over the Diaoyutai islands (釣魚台).
The Diaoyutais, about 141km from Pengjia[/quote]
I hope the spit from CSB mouth did not offend any Japanese people 141km away, as he vehemently laid claim to those rocks.
“The Diaoyutais belong to us, belong to Taiwan, there is no doubt about it … I’m here to show our determination to protect our territory,” [Pres.] Chen said.[/quote]
Finally the head of state has made it clear in no uncertain terms that the disputed rock belongs to ROC.
He is a brave man to sail into unchartered waters to get up in the face of those Japanese aggressor and set the record straight.
People are usually impressed when a head of state shows up in person to challenge claims to a disputed rock.
[quote]Setting foot on Pengjia islet (彭佳嶼) as the first head of state from Taiwan to ever visit the nation’s northernmost territory, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday reiterated Taiwan’s sovereignty claim over the Diaoyutai islands (釣魚台).
The Diaoyutais, about 141km from Pengjia[/quote]
I hope the spit from CSB mouth did not offend any Japanese people 141km away, as he vehemently laid claim to those rocks.[/quote]
I think the importance of the islands has been diluted somewhat as Taiwanese politicians focus on getting the Japanese to defend Taiwan militarily; as shown in the thread that you posted yourself where you claim Lu asks that Taiwan reunite with Japan (she doesn’t she just asks that Japan work with Taiwan militarily against China). Furthermore recently Japan has announced jointly with the United States that the status quo of Taiwan was in their best interest; the solution being to defend Taiwan militarily.
