TAIPEI, June 3 (Reuters) – Taiwan has asked that Japan and the Philippines respect its rights and territory when they hold talks on their maritime border, Taipei’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Japan and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on delimiting the maritime boundary of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between the two countries “in accordance with international law”.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has condemned the move and this week sent coast guard ships off Taiwan’s east coast in response, drawing an angry reaction from Taipei.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said its representative offices in Japan and the Philippines would seek confirmation that the negotiation process and outcomes of any future agreements “will not affect the sovereign rights Taiwan enjoys under international law”.
Taiwan’s sovereignty over its territory and relevant waters, as well as its rights under international law, are “indisputable”, the ministry said.
Given that the maritime area where Japan and the Philippines intend to negotiate boundaries overlaps with Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone off its eastern coast, the ministry said it calls on both countries to fully consider Taiwan’s rights and interests and engage in talks.
Asked about Taiwan’s concerns, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said earlier on Wednesday that if Japan and the Philippines agree on the maritime boundaries it “would not be legally binding on third parties”.
The Philippines’ foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry added that China had no right to claim to speak on its behalf over the maritime boundary issue. “Taiwan will not tolerate China’s attempts to undermine regional peace and stability through so-called coast guard law enforcement and military power projection,” the ministry said.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Karen Lema in Manila and Kiyoshi Takenaka in TokyoEditing by Tomasz Janowski)
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