Tsai Hsi-Hsum, a TKU associate professor from the Graduate Institute of Asian Studies, recently went to Japan with four representatives from other Taiwanese universities to present the East China Sea Peace Initiative. Upon arriving in Japan, they met with Japanese parliament members, public think tank members, and Taiwanese ambassadors to Japan.

Their visit centered around the recent disputes to do with the Diaoyutai and other offlying islands in the East China Sea. In addressing this issue, they reasserted the stance of the government of the Republic of China (ROC), stating that the Diaoyutai Islands belong to Taiwan and are part of the fixed territory of the ROC. They supported this claim with reference to a host of international treaties and covenants, such as the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Declaration, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, among others.

The ROC government’s position on the Diaoyutai issue has consistently been one of “realizing self-sovereignty, setting aside disputes, peace and mutual benefit, and finally, and joint development”.