The head of the Association of East Asian Relations, Tsai Ming-yaw, has outlined the agenda for upcoming maritime talks between Taiwan and Japan.
The association handles Taiwan’s unofficial relationship with Japan. The meeting will be the first discussion on maritime issues between representatives of the two countries.
On Thursday, Tsai said that the meeting will focus on cooperation in the area of fishing, protection of the marine environment, emergency assistance at sea, and marine science research. Tsai also said the dispute over the Okinotori atoll will also be on the agenda.
Japanese authorities seized a Taiwanese fishing boat off Okinotori in April and demanded a security deposit for the crew’s release.
Japan says the atoll is an island, and claims the 200 nautical miles of surrounding sea as an Exclusive Economic Zone. Taiwan argues that the atoll does not meet the criteria for an island under international law, and that the fishing boat was seized in international waters.
Tsai said he hopes the meeting will be constructive and that maritime talks can take place annually in the future.