Gov't urges Japan, Philippines to respect Taiwan's rights in EEZ talks

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday called on the Philippines and Japan not to infringe on Taiwan's rights in its surrounding waters after both countries said last week they were starting talks on maritime delimitation in their overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which also partly overlap with Taiwan's EEZ.

MOFA spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) said that the government will protect the rights and interests of Taiwan's fishermen and will continue to consult with Tokyo and Manila on maritime issues based on the two separate agreements it has with them that address issues concerning Taiwanese fishing rights in Taiwan's overlapping EEZs with Japan and the Philippines.

Tokyo and Manila made their announcement last Thursday.

However, some Taiwanese maritime experts have since expressed concerns about the talks, given that the two countries' EEZs partly overlap with Taiwan's in waters east of the island.

An EEZ is a sea zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal nation's baseline. Within this area, countries possess sovereign rights to explore and manage resources.

The Tokyo-Manila announcement drew heavy criticism from China, which considers Taiwan as part of its territory.

On Monday, China's coast guard conducted a law enforcement patrol in waters east of Taiwan, several days after Beijing asserted that it enjoys sovereign rights over the territory in accordance with its domestic laws.

In a Sunday news release, MOFA initially lauded the Tokyo-Manila talks, which it saw as a way to "resolve maritime differences through peaceful dialogue and based on respect for international law."

It also criticized Beijing for its long-standing position that regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) territory.

Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), described MOFA's statement as "humiliating" and said a failure to seek participation in the talks on overlapping EEZs could seriously hurt Taiwanese fishermen's livelihoods in the future.

Asked to comment on the criticism, Hsiao said at a regular weekly briefing on Tuesday that Taiwan believes both Japan and the Philippines have no intention of infringing on Taiwan's rights in their maritime boundary talks.

There were also no details on the proposed EEZ boundaries so far, he said, adding that the ministry had instructed its representative offices in Tokyo and Manila to gather more information on the issue.

He also cited remarks made Monday in Tokyo by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, who said that any agreement on maritime boundaries reached by Japan and the Philippines would not be legally binding on "third parties."

However, Hsiao said the government would ask both countries to engage in dialogue with Taipei regarding the maritime boundary issue to ensure Taiwan's rights are fully protected.