Dozens of Taiwan boats enter Japan's territorial waters near Senkakus

Rabu, 26 September 2012 13:31

(NAHA-Kyodo) Dozens of Taiwanese fishing boats escorted by Taiwanese government patrol ships entered Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands on Tuesday morning, in the first such incident involving Taiwanese vessels since the Japanese government nationalized the territory that is claimed by Taiwan and China.

Japan's 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters based on Okinawa Island said around 40 Taiwanese fishing boats and eight Taiwanese patrol ships entered the Japanese territorial waters in the space of around an hour despite warnings from the coast guard not to do so.

Japan Coast Guard patrol ships fired water cannons toward the Taiwanese fishing boats to try to get them to leave the territorial waters, while the Taiwanese patrol ships retaliated by shooting water at the Japanese vessels.

The Japanese government filed a protest through the Interchange Association, Japan's de facto embassy in Taipei in the absence of formal relations, over the move by the Taiwanese vessels.

In the absence of diplomatic relations, Tokyo had earlier urged Taipei through other channels not to allow Taiwanese vessels to enter Japanese territorial waters near the islands, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said in Tokyo.

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration Deputy Director General Wang Chung-yi said the Taiwanese boats got as close as 3 nautical miles to one of the Senkaku Islands, which the activists aboard deemed sufficient to abandon their original plan to circle the islands.

Wang said the Japan Coast Guard sent 21 ships to intercept the Taiwanese fishing boats -- which numbered around 60, some of which remained outside Japan-claimed territorial waters -- when they reached 18 nautical miles southwest of the islands.

At 8:26 a.m., Wang said, Japan Coast Guard vessels began using spotlights and water cannon to ward off the Taiwanese fishing boats, calling on them over speakers to leave Japanese waters.

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, which dispatched 12 patrol vessels in total, responded by displaying LED signals asserting Taiwan's claim over the islands, he said.

Wang said the fishing boats began to head home at 9:40 a.m.

The Japan Coast Guard said all Taiwanese vessels had left Japanese territorial waters by around 11:40 a.m. They arrived back in Taiwan late night Tuesday.

The development came a day after some Chinese surveillance vessels entered Japan-claimed territorial waters for the third time since the Japanese government purchased three of the five main islands in the Senkaku group to nationalize them earlier this month.

Meanwhile, six Chinese vessels were also confirmed sailing in the contiguous zone around the islands at 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The contiguous zone is a band of water just outside a nation's territorial sea.

The uninhabited islets are known as Diaoyu in China and Tiaoyutai in Taiwan.

In Taipei, the Presidential Office said President Ma Ying-jeou supported the Taiwanese fishermen's "patriotic action" and acknowledged the Coast Guard Administration's "valiant" efforts to protect the fishermen.

Ma urged the Japanese government to respect the fishing rights of Taiwanese fisherman in their traditional fishing grounds. He also urged the United States to maintain a neutral position and all claimants to consider his initiative for a peaceful settlement and joint development of the resources of the East China Sea.

Beijing also gave its blessing to the Taiwanese fishermen's entry into Senkaku territorial waters.

"The maritime areas (around the Senkakus) are traditional fishing grounds for Chinese fishermen," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.