The dispute between Taiwan and Japan over fishing in waters surrounding the Japanese-controlled Okinotori atoll is to be on the agenda of the two nations' first dialogue on the issue in Taipei late this month, Taiwan's top fisheries official said yesterday.
Fisheries Agency Director-General Chen Tain-shou （陳添壽） confirmed the matter at a hearing of the legislature's Economics Committee, in which several lawmakers expressed concern about the Okinotori issue and the planned dialogue with Japan.
The dispute erupted when a Taiwanese fishing boat was seized by Japan near Okinotori on April 25.
The administration of then-president Ma Ying-jeou （馬英九） lodged a strong protest with Japan after Japanese authorities refused to release the boat until its owner had paid a security deposit of ￥6 million （US$58,480 at the current exchange rate）.
Japan defines the atoll as an island, which means it is entitled to a 200 nautical mile （370.4km） exclusive economic zone.
However, Taiwan maintains that it is not an island, because it cannot sustain human habitation.
The administration of President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） on May 23 — three days after Tsai's inauguration — announced it had reached an agreement with Japan to set up a new mechanism for talks on maritime cooperation.
At yesterday's hearing at the Legislative Yuan, Chen said the first round of talks through the platform would touch on issues related to fishing in waters around Okinotori.
Asked if the chances are high for the two sides to reach an initial consensus on the issue, Chen said that based on experience, it would not be easy to produce a satisfactory result on fishing disputes in the first stage of negotiations.
"At least it is good that Japan is willing to include the Okinotori problem on the agenda," Chen said.
Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Chi-chung （陳吉仲） said at the hearing that he hopes talks through the Taiwan-Japan dialogue platform can produce reasonable resolutions to fishery disputes between the two nations, particularly those concerning fishing rights.
So far, no precise date or members of the delegations from either side have been announced.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs （MOFA） yesterday said that it would help the relatives of a newlywed couple deal with the aftermath of an accident in Kenya in which a Taiwanese man was killed and his wife was injured by a falling tree in a national park.
Citing information provided by eyewitnesses, the Taipei Liaison Office in South Africa said the couple was leaving Lake Nakuru National Park at about 5:30pm on Saturday to return to their hotel when a tree fell, hitting their vehicle.
The man, identified as 30-year-old Juan Chun-hui （阮俊輝）, died on the spot, while his wife, Chen Po-ting （陳柏廷）, 29, has been hospitalized with injuries, the office said.
The vehicle's driver was also injured, the office said, although it did not give the driver's name.
Representative to South Africa John Chen （陳忠）, a secretary, and police officer Chen Yi-ming （陳逸明）, who were on an official visit to Nairobi, went to the scene of the accident about 200km from the city, the ministry said in a statement.
They later visited Chen in hospital and were making arrangements with the authorities in Nakuru to send her to Nairobi as soon as possible to receive further treatment, the statement said.
Kenyan authorities were trying to have Juan's body transported to a better funeral home in Nairobi, the ministry said.
It said it has been fully briefed about the accident and would do its best to help the couple's relatives fly to Kenya as soon as possible and provide them with assistance while they are there.
The couple, who were on their honeymoon, reportedly arrived in Kenya on Friday last week for a six-day visit and were next scheduled to travel to Tanzania.
TAKING CHARGE: The president said that she would not evade problems within the armed forces and would not shirk her responsibility as commander-in-chief
By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） yesterday urged the military to stride forward at a steady pace amid public criticism over recent controversial incidents implicating military officers, pledging to not shirk her responsibility as commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces and to push for drastic reforms.
"Over the past few days, some incidents occurred within the armed forces. I believe all of you are worried and, in the face of criticism from all sectors of society, upset or even feel dispirited just like me," Tsai said in a speech during a joint graduation ceremony of the Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, National Defense University and National Defense Medical Center in Kaohsiung yesterday morning.
Calling on the military to have the courage to face its mistakes and challenges, Tsai said the greater the frustration soldiers encounter, the larger steps they should take in their march forward.
Tsai said she would not sugarcoat recent controversies involving the military and tell them that everything about the nation's armed forces is positive.
"Saying so while standing right here would make me an irresponsible commander-in-chief. I will not evade problems, nor will I shirk my responsibility. Our armed forces require reforms and they should be bold and drastic reforms," Tsai said.
Tsai's speech came on the heels of the navy's accidental launching of a locally developed Hsiung Feng III missile from a 500-tonne Chinchiang-class corvette at Zuoying Military Harbor in Kaohsiung during a drill on Friday last week.
The missile struck a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Hsiang Li Sheng （翔利昇）, operating in waters southeast of Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait, killing its captain, Huang Wen-chung （黃文忠）, and injuring three crew members.
The missile blunder further fueled a public outcry directed at the military, which had faced an outpouring of criticism over the killing of a dog by soldiers at a military base late last month.
The president said the key problems facing the nation's armed forces include military officers' lack of strategic guidance, defense resources, the size of the army, arms and the gap between national defense construction and economic development.
"We will also reform the military's system and culture. The superficial formality, waste of manpower and insufficiency are all focuses of our reform," Tsai said, vowing to make military officers gradually see changes in the armed forces' system.
Later yesterday, Tsai paid her respects to Huang's family in Kaohsiung, accompanied by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu （吳釗燮）, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu （陳菊） and Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Kang Yu-cheng （康裕成） of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang （黃重諺） said Tsai, in her capacity as commander-in-chief, extended her sincerest apologies to Huang Wen-chung's wife and other family members, and vowed to ascertain the truth about the incident as soon as possible.
Alex Huang said Tsai told the victim's family that she has instructed the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Justice to form an ad hoc group to investigate the incident.
As Huang Wen-chung was his household's main source of income, Tsai also asked Chen and the defense ministry to help the victim's family apply for state compensation, Alex Huang said.
President Tsai Ing-wen, front center, attends a joint graduation ceremony at the National Defense University and National Defense Medical Center in Kaohsiung yesterday. Photo: CNA
President Tsai Ing-wen, center, visits fishing boat captain Huang Wen-chung's relatives in Kaohsiung yesterday. Photo: CNA
Students adjust their uniforms at a joint graduation ceremony at the National Defense University and National Defense Medical Center in Kaohsiung. Photo: CNA
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