Taipei: Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday called on the Philippines and Japan not to infringe on Taiwan's rights in its surrounding waters after both countries announced they were beginning talks on maritime delimitation in their overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which also partly overlap with Taiwan's EEZ. MOFA spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei emphasized the government's commitment to protecting the rights and interests of Taiwan's fishermen and pledged continued consultations with Tokyo and Manila based on existing agreements addressing fishing rights in the overlapping EEZs.

According to Focus Taiwan, the announcement by Tokyo and Manila last Thursday has raised concerns among Taiwanese maritime experts. These concerns stem from the fact that the EEZs of Japan and the Philippines partly overlap with Taiwan's, particularly in waters east of the island. An EEZ is a maritime zone that extends up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal nation's baseline, granting sovereign rights to explore and manage resources within this area.

The Tokyo-Manila talks have also drawn criticism from China, which considers Taiwan as part of its territory. In response, China's coast guard conducted a law enforcement patrol in waters east of Taiwan on Monday, days after Beijing asserted its sovereign rights over the territory according to its domestic laws.

In a news release on Sunday, MOFA initially welcomed the Tokyo-Manila discussions as a means to "resolve maritime differences through peaceful dialogue and based on respect for international law." However, it also criticized Beijing's long-standing position that regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) territory.

Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), deemed MOFA's statement "humiliating" and warned that not seeking participation in the EEZ talks could severely affect Taiwanese fishermen's livelihoods. Responding to this criticism, Hsiao stated at a weekly briefing that Taiwan believes Japan and the Philippines have no intention of infringing on its rights in their maritime boundary discussions.

Currently, no details have been released regarding the proposed EEZ boundaries. Hsiao noted that the ministry has instructed its representative offices in Tokyo and Manila to gather more information on the issue. He also referenced remarks made by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara in Tokyo, who stated that any agreement on maritime boundaries between Japan and the Philippines would not be legally binding on "third parties."

Despite these reassurances, Hsiao asserted that the government would urge both countries to engage in dialogue with Taipei to ensure Taiwan's rights are fully protected.