Taipei – Taiwan and Japan have signed a fishing agreement which allowed Taiwan fishing near the disputed Senkaku Islands or waters called the Diaoyu in China, Wednesday (10/4).
The deal has provoked the anger of Beijing, also as the State claims the Senkaku Islands. Moreover, China claimed sovereignty over Taiwan, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Japan.
The agreement will allow Taiwan to fish in area 19 kilometers of the Senkaku Islands. The deal comes after 17 years of negotiations between Japan and Taiwan. The signing of the agreement made by the head of the Association of East Asian Relations, Liao Liao-yi, head of the Japan Interchange Association, Mitsuo Ohashi in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday.
“These negotiations are about the protection of maritime resources in the East China Sea,” said Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s Cabinet Secretary.
Suga added the deal had no connection with the dispute. He again insisted that the Senkaku Islands are Japan’s national territory, hence no issues veiled in the Covenant.
Dispute over the Senkaku Islands are Japan’s Government bought in September 2012, has raised again the issue of dispute in the waters of the East China Sea. The waters in the disputed islands it is rich in marine resources and is believed to have large oil reserves.
The clash between Japan and Taiwan are related to the Senkaku Islands have occurred several times. Last January, a Taiwan activist boat, who tried to enter the Senkaku Islands, was intercepted by the Japan Coast Guard. Coast Guard vessels of the two countries had exchanged water cannon attack each other.
