The foreign ministry has lauded a fisheries agreement with Japan, saying that the pact contributed to regional peace.
In a press release on Saturday, the foreign ministry said Taiwan and Japan signed the agreement two year ago to end disputes over fishing in waters surrounding the contested Diaoyutai Islands, which are known as the Senkakus in Japan. The agreement allows Taiwanese fishing boats to operate in part of Japan's exclusive economic zone around the islands that are controlled by Japan. The ministry said before the agreement was signed, 17 disputes occurred between the two sides. But after the agreement, there has been none.
The foreign ministry said the fisheries agreement between the two sides echoes President Ma Ying-jeou’s East China Sea Peace Initiative, which calls for all parties to set aside sovereignty disputes and to share resources. The ministry also said the agreement has been praised internationally.