President Tsai Ing-wen said Oct. 6 that Taiwan and Japan will soon commence dialogue on maritime affairs collaboration, with Okinotori one of the issues she hopes is included in the dialogue.
“As the president of the Republic of China [Taiwan], my greatest concern is protecting the nation’s fishing rights and ensuring our fishermen can operate freely in relevant waters,” Tsai said during an interview with Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun at the Office of the President in Taipei City.
“We look forward to expanded exchanges with Japan through this mechanism on fishery resources development and protection, emergency rescue and scientific research, among other issues.”
According to the president, given Taiwan’s complete high-tech and manufacturing supply chains, as well as Japan’s cutting-edge technological R&D capabilities and branding prowess, “there is plenty of room for industrial collaboration between the two sides.”
The economies of many countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia are complementary with Taiwan’s, Tsai said, adding that those of Japan, European nations and the U.S. are also complementary. “We want to work with them in exploring regional opportunities under the New Southbound Policy.
The president, who also thanked the Japanese government for supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, elaborated on a number of issues spanning cross-strait relations, Taiwan-U.S. ties and developments in the East and South China seas.
On cross-strait relations, Tsai said the government’s commitment to maintaining the status quo and its goodwill remains unchanged, but the government and the people of Taiwan will not yield to mainland Chinese pressure and do not want a return to past practices of confrontation.
“I hope the two sides can work together to solve the problems we face in peaceful and mutually cooperative manner. As I stressed in my May 20 inauguration speech, the government will maintain the status quo of cross-strait peace and stability based on the existing political foundation and historical facts.”
According to the president, there might have been some misunderstandings, and this is why the two sides need to sit down and talk. “We will be patient, but we also hope to see authorities from mainland China display more wisdom,” she said, adding that Beijing must set aside the baggage of history and resolve disagreements with Taipei through constructive and unconditional communication and healthy exchanges, especially among young people.
In terms of Taiwan-U.S. relations, Tsai said regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election, she expects Washington to continue assisting Taiwan strengthen its defensive capabilities in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances.
Regarding developments in the East and South China seas, the president said Taiwan maintains its stance that disputes in the region must be resolved peacefully through multilateral negotiations and the recognition of Taiwan as a stakeholder by related countries. “Taiwan must be part of the negotiations and allowed to participate on equal footing.”
The president also urged multilateral dialogue among related countries as soon as possible, especially on issues involving the South China Sea. “By setting aside disputes and jointly developing resources, Taiwan is willing to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue on nontraditional security issues such as environmental protection, scientific research, crime fighting, humanitarian assistance and disaster rescue.” (SFC-E)
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