mescalitto
20th September 2012, 20:46
I will refrain from drawing suppositions but i found this rather interesting. The first half is from 'The China Post' and the second half (In italics) is from The ROC Central News Agency.
Government will not recognize any sale of Tiaoyutai Islands
TAIPEI --Premier Sean Chen said yesterday that Taiwan will not recognize any sale of the Tiaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea, as they are part of the country's territory.
The Tiaoyutais are the Republic of China's territory from a historical and legal perspective, he said in response to media questions about a reported imminent move by Tokyo to buy three islets in the Tiaoyutais.
News reports in Japan said that Tokyo will purchase three of the four privately owned islets Tuesday in an effort to officially nationalize the island chain, which is called the Senkakus in Japan.
“If there's anyone making deals (on that island group), we will never recognize the validity of such deals,” Chen said.
The Tiaoyutais, five uninhabited islands that lie 100 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan, are claimed by the R.O.C. government in Taiwan, as well as by China and Japan.
At the end of World War II in 1945, the island chain was under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the captured Japanese island of Okinawa but has been under Japan's control since 1972 when Okinawa was returned to Japan.
Japanese media reported Monday that the Japanese government is scheduled to sign a contract Tuesday to buy three of the Tiaoyutais from the Japanese family that owns them, at a cost of 2.05 billion yen (US$26 million).
Sources at Taiwan's Presidential Office said national security and administrative units have been meeting in the past few days to devise strategies for handling the matter.
The National Security Council has been closely monitoring the Japanese government's reported attempt to nationalize the Tiaoyutais, and the government will respond to any new developments, the sources said.
Meanwhile, head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Lai Shin-yuan said in London on Sunday that the R.O.C. undoubtedly holds sovereignty over the Tiaoyutais and Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The Spratlys are claimed either entirely or in part by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Lai said it is not appropriate at this time for Taiwan to join hands with China in the disputes over the Tiaoyutais and Spratlys because there is still an unresolved sovereignty issue between the two sides across Taiwan Strait.
She was responding to a proposal by some Taiwanese expatriates in Britain that Taiwan and China should jointly defend their rights to the Tiaoyutais and Taiping.
Lai said that despite the warmer economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China in recent years, they have not yet reached a level of mutual trust that would allow for political talks.
Full Text of 'East China Sea Peace Initiative' guidelines
ROC Central News Agency
2012/09/07 23:03:45
Taipei, Sept. 7 (CNA) The Presidential Office on Friday released the full text of implementation guidelines for carrying out President Ma Ying-jeou's East China Sea Peace Initiative.
The guidelines aim to deepen the effects and influence of the peace initiative proposed by Ma on Aug. 5 amid an escalating sovereignty dispute over the Tiaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea.
The guidelines suggest a two-stage approach -- peaceful dialogue and negotiations converging into sharing resources and cooperative development -- to settle the territorial dispute.
Ma unveiled the guidelines during a visit to Pengjia Islet, the part of Taiwan closest to the Tiaoyutais. In addition to reaffirming the Republic of China's claim to the uninhabited island chain, Ma also laid out details on implementing his initiative.
The following is the full text of the guidelines:
Implementation:
The East China Sea Peace Initiative is to be implemented in two stages—
Peaceful dialogue and mutually reciprocal negotiation:
This stage involves promoting the idea of resolving the East China Sea dispute through peaceful means, and establishing channels for Track I and Track II dialogue and encouraging all parties concerned to address key East China Sea issues via bilateral or multilateral negotiation mechanisms in order to bolster mutual trust and collective benefit.
Sharing resources and cooperative development:
This stage involves institutionalizing all forms of dialogue and negotiation and encouraging all parties concerned to implement substantive cooperative projects and establish mechanisms for joint exploration and development of resources that form a network of peace and cooperation in the East China Sea area.
Key issues:
Fishing industry— Convening bilateral and multilateral fishing industry meetings and other forms of fishing industry cooperation and exchange, and establishing a mechanism for fishing industry cooperation and administration.
Mining industry— Promoting joint exploration in the territorial waters to the north of Taiwan and establishing a mechanism for joint exploration, development and management.
Marine science research and maritime environmental protection— Conducting multi-national marine and ecological research projects pertaining to the East China Sea.
Maritime security and unconventional security— Implementing bilateral and multilateral law enforcement exchanges and marine rescue agency cooperation, and establishing a collaborative marine security and crime-enforcement mechanism.
East China Sea Code of Conduct— Implementing mechanisms for Track I and Track II dialogue and negotiating mechanisms for resolving disputes through peaceful means that will bolster mutual trust and encourage all parties concerned to sign the East China Sea Code of Conduct.
Implementation Objectives:
In its role as a facilitator of peace in the international community, the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative and its implementation guidelines in the sincere hope that all parties concerned replace confrontation with negotiation, and set aside their controversies by means of temporary measures, so as to maintain peace and stability in the region.
Over the long run, we can move from three parallel tracks of bilateral dialogue (between Taiwan and Japan, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, and Japan and the mainland) to one track of trilateral negotiations and realize peace and cooperation in the East China Sea.
Government will not recognize any sale of Tiaoyutai Islands
TAIPEI --Premier Sean Chen said yesterday that Taiwan will not recognize any sale of the Tiaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea, as they are part of the country's territory.
The Tiaoyutais are the Republic of China's territory from a historical and legal perspective, he said in response to media questions about a reported imminent move by Tokyo to buy three islets in the Tiaoyutais.
News reports in Japan said that Tokyo will purchase three of the four privately owned islets Tuesday in an effort to officially nationalize the island chain, which is called the Senkakus in Japan.
“If there's anyone making deals (on that island group), we will never recognize the validity of such deals,” Chen said.
The Tiaoyutais, five uninhabited islands that lie 100 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan, are claimed by the R.O.C. government in Taiwan, as well as by China and Japan.
At the end of World War II in 1945, the island chain was under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the captured Japanese island of Okinawa but has been under Japan's control since 1972 when Okinawa was returned to Japan.
Japanese media reported Monday that the Japanese government is scheduled to sign a contract Tuesday to buy three of the Tiaoyutais from the Japanese family that owns them, at a cost of 2.05 billion yen (US$26 million).
Sources at Taiwan's Presidential Office said national security and administrative units have been meeting in the past few days to devise strategies for handling the matter.
The National Security Council has been closely monitoring the Japanese government's reported attempt to nationalize the Tiaoyutais, and the government will respond to any new developments, the sources said.
Meanwhile, head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Lai Shin-yuan said in London on Sunday that the R.O.C. undoubtedly holds sovereignty over the Tiaoyutais and Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The Spratlys are claimed either entirely or in part by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Lai said it is not appropriate at this time for Taiwan to join hands with China in the disputes over the Tiaoyutais and Spratlys because there is still an unresolved sovereignty issue between the two sides across Taiwan Strait.
She was responding to a proposal by some Taiwanese expatriates in Britain that Taiwan and China should jointly defend their rights to the Tiaoyutais and Taiping.
Lai said that despite the warmer economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China in recent years, they have not yet reached a level of mutual trust that would allow for political talks.
Full Text of 'East China Sea Peace Initiative' guidelines
ROC Central News Agency
2012/09/07 23:03:45
Taipei, Sept. 7 (CNA) The Presidential Office on Friday released the full text of implementation guidelines for carrying out President Ma Ying-jeou's East China Sea Peace Initiative.
The guidelines aim to deepen the effects and influence of the peace initiative proposed by Ma on Aug. 5 amid an escalating sovereignty dispute over the Tiaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea.
The guidelines suggest a two-stage approach -- peaceful dialogue and negotiations converging into sharing resources and cooperative development -- to settle the territorial dispute.
Ma unveiled the guidelines during a visit to Pengjia Islet, the part of Taiwan closest to the Tiaoyutais. In addition to reaffirming the Republic of China's claim to the uninhabited island chain, Ma also laid out details on implementing his initiative.
The following is the full text of the guidelines:
Implementation:
The East China Sea Peace Initiative is to be implemented in two stages—
Peaceful dialogue and mutually reciprocal negotiation:
This stage involves promoting the idea of resolving the East China Sea dispute through peaceful means, and establishing channels for Track I and Track II dialogue and encouraging all parties concerned to address key East China Sea issues via bilateral or multilateral negotiation mechanisms in order to bolster mutual trust and collective benefit.
Sharing resources and cooperative development:
This stage involves institutionalizing all forms of dialogue and negotiation and encouraging all parties concerned to implement substantive cooperative projects and establish mechanisms for joint exploration and development of resources that form a network of peace and cooperation in the East China Sea area.
Key issues:
Fishing industry— Convening bilateral and multilateral fishing industry meetings and other forms of fishing industry cooperation and exchange, and establishing a mechanism for fishing industry cooperation and administration.
Mining industry— Promoting joint exploration in the territorial waters to the north of Taiwan and establishing a mechanism for joint exploration, development and management.
Marine science research and maritime environmental protection— Conducting multi-national marine and ecological research projects pertaining to the East China Sea.
Maritime security and unconventional security— Implementing bilateral and multilateral law enforcement exchanges and marine rescue agency cooperation, and establishing a collaborative marine security and crime-enforcement mechanism.
East China Sea Code of Conduct— Implementing mechanisms for Track I and Track II dialogue and negotiating mechanisms for resolving disputes through peaceful means that will bolster mutual trust and encourage all parties concerned to sign the East China Sea Code of Conduct.
Implementation Objectives:
In its role as a facilitator of peace in the international community, the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative and its implementation guidelines in the sincere hope that all parties concerned replace confrontation with negotiation, and set aside their controversies by means of temporary measures, so as to maintain peace and stability in the region.
Over the long run, we can move from three parallel tracks of bilateral dialogue (between Taiwan and Japan, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, and Japan and the mainland) to one track of trilateral negotiations and realize peace and cooperation in the East China Sea.