Next round of talks scheduled before mid-April
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/28
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Latest round of Taiwan-Japan fisheries talks failed to reach consensus. (By Associated Press)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan and Japan failed to reach a consensus about fishing in maritime zones, but another round of talks has been scheduled for next month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.
The main issue at stake in the latest two-day meeting in Tokyo was the amendment of the existing maritime zone mentioned in a 2013 accord, the Central News Agency reported.
The agreement covered fishing in an area disputed by both countries, and differences emerged on whether or how much the zone mentioned by the agreement should be expanded.
Taiwanese and Japanese fishing boats can operate freely in a disputed area north of the Japanese islands of Yaeyama and Miyako, but the waters within 12 nautical miles of the Diaoyutai islands are not covered by the 2013 agreement. Japan controls that area, but Taiwan and China also lay claims to sovereignty over the islands. [FULL STORY]
