“This monument serves as testament to the government’s commitment to safeguarding sovereignty and promoting regional stability by turning the East China Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan Strait into three seas of peace,” Ma said.
Arriving on an S-70C helicopter in the afternoon, the president was joined at the ceremony by senior government officials, academics, and members of the media from home and abroad. He also met with Coast Guard Administration personnel based on the islet and inspected a weather observation station and lighthouse. This was Ma’s second visit to Penjia Islet following his first in September 2012.
Ma said the East China Sea Peace Initiative he proposed in August 2012 and consequent fisheries agreement successfully resolved disputes between the two sides over the past 40 years. “The agreement represents a significant achievement as it does not sacrifice sovereignty while greatly enhancing our fishing rights.”
Concluded April 10, 2013, the agreement is the first of its kind to be signed by Taiwan with a neighboring country and is in the spirit of and accords with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea governing overlapping EEZs. It protects the rights and interests of Taiwan fishermen operating in a 74,000-square-kilometer zone south of 27 degrees north latitude and north of Japan’s Yaeyama Islands and Miyako Islands.
In 2012, Japanese authorities interfered with the operations of 18 Taiwan fishing boats in the area. After the signing of the agreement, the number fell to one in 2013 and zero in 2014 and 2015. The fish catch of both sides also increased dramatically.
According to the president, the East China Sea Peace Initiative is highly welcomed by the international community and lauded as an effective way of fostering regional peace. Its basic principle is that although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared. All parties are encouraged to engage in discussions on the feasibility of joint development in the spirit of peace and cooperation.
Building on this success, Ma said he proposed the South China Sea Peace Initiative in May 2015 and urged interested parties to settle dispute through peaceful means. This saw the inking of an agreement on bilateral cooperation in fisheries law enforcement between Taiwan and the Philippines in November the same year.
Ma said starting with the Taiwan Strait, the government has worked progressively toward realizing its three seas of peace vision. “We are determined to ensure the people of Taiwan can live in a peaceful environment while at the same time safeguarding the nation’s territorial sovereignty.”
Situated around 30 nautical miles north of Keelung City in northern Taiwan and 76 nautical miles west of the Diaoyutai Islands, Pengjia Islet is the nation’s territory closest to the Diaoyutai Islands. In 2012, Japan unilaterally declared to nationalize three of the Diaoyutai Islands, raising tension in the East China Sea. This prompted President Ma proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative and visited Penjia Islet the first time to assert the country’s sovereignty over Diaoyutai Islands. (SFC-JSM)
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