Taiwan, Philippines sign fishing treaty

[WuMaoCleverbot]

Taiwan, Philippines sign fishing treaty
Fri, Nov 20, 2015

Taiwan and the Philippines have inked an agreement covering the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in fishing matters in overlapping waters earlier this month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed yesterday.

The ministry made the announcement hours after Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達) said at the legislature that concrete developments had been made in Taipei’s negotiations with Manila on the agreement and that they would jointly publish an accord “at an opportune time.”

Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji (陳保基) later revealed that the treaty was signed three weeks ago and that the decision to postpone the announcement was made to avoid causing trouble on the South China Sea issue during the APEC summit in Manila, which is to end today.

“After several rounds of negotiations over the past two years, Taiwan and the Philippines concluded the Agreement Concerning the Facilitation of Cooperation on Law Enforcement in Fisheries Matters on Nov. 5,” the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry said the pact was signed in Taipei by Representative to the Philippines Gary Lin (林松煥) and his Philippine counterpart, Antonio Basilio, at a ceremony witnessed by the two nations’ heads of fisheries agencies and Manila Economic and Cultural Office chairman Amadeo Perez.

The agreement consists of seven articles and three consensuses that were implemented prior to its signing: avoiding the use of violence or unnecessary force; establishing an emergency notification system; and a prompt release mechanism.

At an impromptu press conference later yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) said Taiwan and the Philippines held the first technical working group (TWG) meeting immediately after the agreement’s signing to complete the formality of an exchange of letters and to work out the details on some issues.

“The meeting reached a consensus on two mechanisms, including a one-hour advance notification to the other party and prompt release of detained vessels and crew within three days,” David Lin said.

According to the foreign ministry, the mechanisms require Manila to notify Taipei’s fisheries, coast guard agencies and representative office one hour before taking law enforcement action against a Taiwanese fishing vessel believed to be illegally operating more than 24 nautical miles (44.5km) off the Philippines’ coast where both parties’ economic zones overlap.

Should the fishing vessel be found to have broken the law and subsequently detained, it must be released within three days after posting reasonable bond or payment consistent with the law of the arresting party.

David Lin said that while both parties failed at their first meeting to reach a concord on the issue of Taiwanese boats operating between 12 and 24 nautical miles seaward of the Philippines’ baseline, the matter is to be deliberated again at the second TWG event, which is expected to be held in Manila in January or early February.

“In the meantime, the area will remain at the ‘status quo,’ but our coast guard ships will continue their efforts to protect Taiwanese fishing boats there,” David Lin said.

Asked if the delayed announcement was to avoid disrupting the APEC summit or the Nov. 7 landmark meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore, David Lin said it was because there were some domestic administrative procedures for both sides to go through.

Taiwan, Philippines sign fishing treaty - Taipei Times

Pnoy's gov't just granted the Taiwanese to fish within our EEZ. Taiwan is a non-UNCLOS signatory...we have no overlapping EEZ with Taiwan. I hope the next gov't revokes this foolish executive agreement. Taiwanese fishing boats should stay on the Taiwanese side of the Bashi channel. Filipino fishermen in Batanes are already complaining of dwindling fish catch because of these voracious Taiwanese poachers.

According to the Treaty between the Kingdom of Japan and the Kingdom of Spain in 1895 the boundary between the Philippines and Taiwan is Latitude 21-30 N in Bashi Channel.

 

[TheTruth]

So you Manila monkeys are claiming an EEZ right up to our shore? So the Treaty of Paris is sacred law to you except the part where it doesn't include Taiping Island?

Taiwan's gov't should tell you to go kill yourselves. We'll fish where we are entitled to by law, and if you don't like it we can bomb your cities into rubble so you have fewer hungry people.

 

[xunzi]

The Philippines think they are the only country entitle to 200n zone and any land fall within that zone must accommodate their 200z. That's why you see their 200n EEZ goes all the over to the Taiwan coast and Taiwan are only allow 12n mile territorial sea to fish. What a joke for a midget! LOL

 

[JayMandan]

Good Job Taiwan. Long Live Taiwan-Philippines Friendship. <3

 

[TheTruth]

The Philippines think they are the only country entitle to 200n zone and any land fall within that zone must accommodate their 200z. That's why you see their 200n EEZ goes all the over to the Taiwan coast and Taiwan are only allow 12n mile territorial sea to fish. What a joke for a midget! LOL

These beasts claim an EEZ that encompasses over 60% of Taiwan island ... HAHAHA

Good Job Taiwan. Long Live Taiwan-Philippines Friendship. <3

The Philippines can **** itself.

 

[TaiShang]

The islands and waters are ours to keep.

***

Taiwan does not recognize ruling on South China Sea case

Taipei, Oct. 31 (CNA) The Taiwan government said Saturday that it does not recognize or accept a ruling by an international arbitration panel that it could hear a case brought by the Philippines against China over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has not invited the Republic of China (Taiwan) to participate in its arbitration with China, and the arbitration tribunal has not solicited the ROC’s views, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Therefore, the arbitration does not affect the ROC in any way, and the ROC neither recognizes nor accepts related awards,” it said.

The ministry’s statement came after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Netherlands ruled Thursday that it has jurisdiction to hear the case, in which the Philippines argues that China’s “nine-dash line” territorial claim over South China Sea waters is unlawful under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The statement seemed to indicate the ministry’s stronger stance than its initial response a day earlier, when it said that the ROC’s determination to defend its sovereignty over four island chains in the South China Sea is not open to question and that it is closely following the developments in the case and will take measures as necessary.

The Philippines filed the case before the tribunal in The Hague in 2013 to seek a ruling on its right to exploit the South China Sea waters within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as allowed under the U.N. convention.

Taiwan is taking an interest in the case because it is one of the countries that claim all or parts of the South China Sea. Other claimants are Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

Taiwan controls one of the Pratas Islands and one of the largest of the Spratly Islands — Taiping Island.

In a seven-point statement, the ministry reiterated Taiwan’s stance on the South China Sea, saying that from the perspective of history, geography, and international law, the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, Shisha (Paracel) Islands, Chungsha Islands (Macclesfield Bank), and Tungsha (Pratas) Islands in the region, as well as their surrounding waters, “are an inherent part of ROC territory and waters.”

“As the ROC enjoys all rights to these islands and their surrounding waters in accordance with international law, the ROC government does not recognize any claim to sovereignty over, or occupation of, these areas by other countries, irrespective of the reasons put forward or methods used for such claim or occupation,” it said.

Also, the South China Sea islands were first discovered, named, and used, as well as incorporated into national territory, by the Chinese, the ministry said. The San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952 and the Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan, which was signed in the same year, as well as other international legal instruments, reconfirm that the islands and reefs in the South China Sea occupied by Japan should be returned to the ROC, it added.

The ROC moved its seat of government to Taipei after Nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek were defeated by the communists in the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Another point the ministry made in the statement was that Taiping Island is the largest (about 0.5 square km) of the naturally formed Spratly Islands. It began to be garrisoned by ROC forces in 1956, it said.

Taiwan’s coast guard took over the task of defending the island in 2000.

“From legal, economic, and geographic perspectives, Taiping Island indisputably qualifies as an ‘island,’ according to the specifications of Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and can sustain human habitation and economic life of its own; it is thus categorically not a ‘rock’ under the same article,” it said.

“Any claims by other countries which aim to deny this fact will not impair the legal status of Taiping Island and its maritime rights based on UNCLOS,” it said.

Meanwhile, the ROC has consistently adhered to the principles of peaceful settlement of international disputes and freedom of navigation and overflight as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations and other relevant international laws and regulations, the ministry said.

It added that the ROC has defended Taiping and other islands without ever getting into military conflict with other countries, and has not interfered with other countries’ freedom of navigation or overflight in the South China Sea.

Although Taiwan is not a contracting party to UNCLOS, the ministry urged countries involved in the South China Sea dispute to respect the provisions and spirit of the U.N. Charter and UNCLOS, and to exercise restraint, safeguard peace and stability in the region, uphold the freedom of navigation and overflight through the region, refrain from taking any action that might escalate tension, and resolve disputes peacefully.

Other points mentioned in the statement was the South China Sea peace initiative proposed by the ROC government in May, which is based on “the principles of safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, pursuing peace and reciprocity, and promoting joint development.”

“Based on consultations conducted on a basis of equality and reciprocity, the ROC is willing to work with other parties concerned to jointly ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea, as well as conserve and develop resources in the region,” the ministry said.

 

[oproh]

Good news, hopefully no more innocent Taiwanese fisherman will die because of our trigger-happy coast guards.

 

[xunzi]

These beasts claim an EEZ that encompasses over 60% of Taiwan island ... HAHAHA



The Philippines can **** itself.

Looking at that map, you can tell why people are outrageous. Such greedy beasts who think they are entitle to everything that fall within their 200nz irrespective of other country territorial EEZ.

 

[TaiShang]

Not only that but these violent animals think they have the right to murder anyone in their exaggerated EEZ

I guess next time they dare something similar, the punishment will be brutal.

 

[大汉奸柳传志]

I would not sign anything with the pinoys, these flip-flopers knows nothing about how to honor a treaty

 

[Jlaw]

Taiwan got the bum deal. Why are Taiwanese politicians so weak? @TaiShang

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Taiwan got the bum deal. Why are Taiwanese politicians so weak? @TaiShang

What do you expect from the KMT? Even the DPP got a pair of bigger balls.

BTW, we should be glad that the KMT was kicking out from the Mainland China back in 66 years ago.

 

[Jlaw]

What do you expect from the KMT? Even the DPP got a pair of bigger balls.

BTW, we should be glad that the KMT was kicking out from the Mainland China back in 66 years ago.

I meant that Taiwanese government look like they can bullied, like HK government officials.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

I meant that Taiwanese government look like they can bullied, like HK government officials.

At least the HK government is obedient to the CPC, while the Taiwanese government can be obedient to anyone, but not to the CPC.

Just like a guy who is coward chickenshit in front of the foreigners, but always aggressive toward his own brother, because he knows his brother won't hurt him like the foreigners.

 

[Jlaw]

At least the HK government is obedient to the CPC, while the Taiwanese government can be obedient to anyone, but not to the CPC.

Just like a guy who is coward chickenshit in front of the foreigners, but always aggressive toward his own brother, because he knows his brother won't hurt him like the foreigners.

sounds like you're talking about HK people. I know those type.