President Ma Ying-jeou has repeated Taiwan’s stance that Japan’s Okinotori reefs are an atoll rather than an island.
The reefs’ status has been at the center of a dispute between Taiwan and Japan this week. On Monday, Japanese authorities seized a Taiwanese fishing boat operating around 150 nautical miles off the atoll. The crew was only released after family members of the crew paid a security deposit.
Japan says the boat was operating within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a 200 nautical mile radius around the reefs it claims it is entitled to under international law. But Taiwan argues that the atoll is not an island, and does not entitle Japan to an Exclusive Economic Zone in the surrounding waters.
On Thursday, President Ma Ying-jeou said that the atoll cannot support human life, and therefore fails to qualify as an island under international law. He also said that the atoll only has an area of around nine square meters. He said that work to expand the atoll will not change its status.
"No matter how much you build, [the surrounding waters] won’t become your territory. It is only a manmade object, and it can only have a 500 meter safety area," Ma said. "This safety area isn’t [Japanese] territory. It is only there to prevent ships from crashing into [the reef]. But Japan has claimed a 200 nautical mile EEZ, taken our fishing boat, and only released [the crew] after receiving a payment. We feel that this is very unreasonable."
Ma said he has asked the coast guard to send ships to the disputed area to protect Taiwanese fishing boats operating there. Ma said that the right to fish in international waters is a basic right that Taiwan cannot give up. However, he said that Taiwan is willing to resolve disputes peacefully. Ma said he has instructed the foreign ministry to continue talks with Japan.