US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2530

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 002530 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, OES/OA - ROBERT SMITH 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO COAST GUARD AND AIT/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2015 
TAGS: SENV, EFIS, TW, PREL, ESTH 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN/JAPAN TERRITORIAL DISPUTE IN FISHING GROUNDS 
 
 
Classified By: ait Director Douglas Paal, Reason: 1.4 (B/D) 
 
 1. (C) Summary.  On June 8, five Taiwan fishing vessels 
fishing in the Diaoyutai/Senkaku islands area were expelled 
by Japanese patrol ships.  In response to the Japanese 
action, Taiwanese fishermen staged a protest sending a fleet 
of 40 fishing vessels to the region. The Taiwan Coast Guard 
intervened and ended the protest. This incident is one in a 
series of such incidents in the region.  While officials will 
not want to be seen as unresponsive to the interests of 
Taiwan's fisheries sector, the government clearly does not 
want this relatively minor dispute to spoil the overall 
strong cooperative relationship between Taiwan and Japan. 
Taiwan Coast Guard Minister Syu Huei-you told reporters on 
June 9 that the incident should be settled through dialogue 
and consultations.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) On June 8, five Taiwan fishing vessels fishing in the 
Diaoyutai region (a disputed territory among Taiwan, Japan 
and the PRC approximately 20 nautical miles off of Taiwan's 
northeastern coast) were expelled by Japanese patrol ships. 
In response to the Japanese action, Taiwanese fishermen 
staged a protest sending a fleet of 40 fishing vessels to the 
region, which intercepted a Japanese patrol vessel for about 
an hour.  After several of Taiwan's Coast Guard vessels were 
sent to the disputed area, the Taiwan fishing vessels vacated 
the area and the protest ended peacefully. 
 
3. (U) This is only one in a series of incidents between 
Japanese authorities and Taiwan fishing boats in the 
Diaoyutai region. According to the Taiwan Fisheries Agency, 
since 2000, Japan has detained a total of 156 foreign vessels 
fishing in the area, including vessels from: Korea, PRC, 
Russia, Taiwan and Cambodia.  In 2004, 30 fishing vessels 
were detained, eight of which were from Taiwan.  In 2005, 
three Taiwan vessels were detained.  One of those vessels and 
its 9 member crew have yet to be released. 
 
4. (C) In an effort to resolve this ongoing dispute, Japan 
and Taiwan have discussed this issue during 14 separate 
bilateral meetings on fishing issues since 1996.  On June 9, 
Premier Frank Hsieh and Taiwan Coast Guard Minister Syu 
Huei-you separately told reporters that the current incident 
should also be settled through dialogue and consultations 
rather than confrontation.  The Fisheries Agency announced 
that Taiwan is currently working on setting up a 15th 
bilateral fisheries meeting with Japan. 
 
5. (C) Comment: Taiwan officials have told AIT that they see 
Taiwan-Japan Coast Guard cooperation as one of the most 
successful elements of Taipei's efforts to engage in pol-mil 
cooperation with Tokyo.  On June 8, the same day as the 
fishing boat incident, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chief 
Secretary Jan Jyh-horng told AIT that the Japanese Coast 
 
SIPDIS 
Guard had just agreed to provide assistance to its Taiwan 
counterpart on how to react to PRC incursions into waters 
around the disputed Pratas island in the South China Sea 
(Septel).  While Taiwan does not want to advertise this sort 
of cooperation publicly, in part to avoid offending the 
Taiwan fishing industry, we expect Taipei to exert a full 
effort to resolve this latest dispute as quickly and as 
amicably as possible.  End Comment. 
PAAL