Tokyo-Manila EEZ talks aim to counter China: FM

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) Proposed talks between Japan and the Philippines on maritime boundaries in areas where their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap are intended to counter China, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Thursday, adding that Taiwan is in close contact with both countries to safeguard its rights.

Lin said China's military expansion has extended into the western Pacific and into the EEZs of Japan and the Philippines, with People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and vessels frequently operating near eastern Taiwan, the Diaoyutai Islands (known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands), and Batan Island in the Philippines.

As a result, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines have continued to strengthen cooperation to jointly counter China and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the First Island Chain, he said.

Lin was referring to a joint announcement by Tokyo and Manila last Thursday that they plan to hold talks on maritime delimitation.

The announcement raised concerns among some Taiwanese maritime experts because the two countries' claimed EEZs overlap with Taiwan's in waters east of the island.

An EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's baseline and gives that state sovereign rights over the exploration and management of natural resources within the zone.

The issue drew further attention after China's coast guard conducted a law enforcement patrol in waters east of Taiwan on Monday, days after Beijing asserted sovereign rights over the area under its domestic laws.

In a statement issued Sunday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomed the planned talks as a means of resolving maritime disputes through peaceful dialogue and in accordance with international law.

The ministry also criticized Beijing's long-standing claim that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China.

The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) criticized MOFA's statement as "humiliating," arguing that failing to seek participation in talks involving overlapping EEZs could ultimately harm the interests of Taiwanese fishermen.

Responding to the criticism, Lin said Taiwan has been in close communication with both Japan and the Philippines through diplomatic channels.

According to Lin, both countries have assured Taipei that any maritime boundary agreement they reach would not be legally binding on third parties, in line with international legal principles.

Taiwan also has separate agreements with Japan and the Philippines covering fishing rights in overlapping waters, he said.

Regardless of the outcome of the talks, Taiwan will continue to defend its EEZ rights and protect the interests of its fishermen, Lin added.