Taiwan holds luncheon and discusses territorial dispute in China

Today, the Taiwanese Embassy held their annual end of year luncheon. The event was to express gratitude on behalf of Taiwan to the Belizean government and people for their support and continued collaboration over the years. Taiwan has been a substantive financier for several ministerial projects that target the youth as well as the illiterate in Belize. But the event was also to share with Belize, an update on a major territorial dispute that has been brewing in the East China Sea.  As one of the founders of the United Nations, the Republic of China (Taiwan) believes it has the responsibility to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner under the principles of the United Nations (U.N.) Charter.  On September twenty-sixth, 2012, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda delivered a speech at the UN, during which he proclaimed to the world “no dispute exists.” Ambassador, David Wu, spoke on the peace initiative that the country has launched.

David Wu, Ambassador, Republic of China (Taiwan)

David Wu

“This is a year end luncheon. We invite our good friend from different walks of life including scholarship recipients, steel pan , some government officials that have been to Taiwan this year. And we just want to say thank you to the government of Belize for their friendship and your support and collaboration given between Taiwan and Belize. We also give ourselves the opportunity to review of what we have done for the year 2012. We have had several very interesting and successful collaborations and projects including that we donated wheelchairs to the handicap through the special envoy for women and children. We also respond to the Restore Belize initiative by donating computers and also software trying to help and reduce the illiteracy rate of the country. The peace initiative—it was launched by President Ma Ying-jeou of the Republic of China (Taiwan) because this year after the former Japanese Prime Minister made a speech in the U.N. and brought in some tension in the East China Sea claiming on the sovereignty over the island. It is called Diaoyutai Island; literally translated, it is called “Fishing Platform,” which is now claimed by Taiwan, Japan and Chinese mainland, Mainland China. So our president had this initiative trying to resolve this problem very peacefully and ask three sides if we can actually sit down to discuss, to negotiate and in the meantime, we can also collaborate to develop this area. We are trying to resolve this problem.”

Prime Minister Noda also called for a stronger rule of law to resolve territorial disputes yet he rejected Taiwan’s proposal to submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice.  He added that any attempt to realize a country’s claim by force or threat is inconsistent with the spirit of the U.N. Charter.