President Ma issues Statement on East China Sea Airspace Security
2014/02/26
NO.035
The International Conference on Peace and Security in East Asia, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the College of International Affairs of National ChengchiUniversity (NCCU), and MOFA’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, was held at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on February 26, 2014, to promote peace and stability in the East Asia region. In his remarks during the opening ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou delivered a Statement on East China Sea Airspace Security to address recent security problems in the area. Attending the conference were 15 special guests from 10 countries on four continents, including Secretary General of the National Security Council (NSC) Jason Yuan, NSC advisory committee member Kan Yi-hua, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin, NCCU President Wu Se-hwa, ambassadors to the ROC, as well representatives of the United States, Japan, and the European Union, among others. Also attending the conference were local and foreign scholars and members of the media, bringing the total number of participants to over 200 and ensuring the event was very lively.
In his Statement on East China Sea Airspace Security, President Ma proposed the following three main points:
Firstly, all parties concerned should abide by the principles of international law and, in the spirit of East China Sea Peace Initiative, seek peaceful resolutions to disputes to ensure airspace security, safeguard freedom of aviation, and promote regional peace.
Secondly, those parties with overlapping air defense identification zones (ADIZs) in the area should initiate bilateral talks to find solutions as soon as possible. Provisional arrangements may be made whenever necessary to avoid conflict and misjudgment, and to reduce the impact on aviation freedom and safety.
Thirdly, to promote long-lasting peace and cooperation in the East China Sea, and to enhance regional stability and prosperity, the parties concerned should jointly negotiate the formulation of a Code of Conduct for the East China Sea, covering both maritime space and airspace, and the creation of a regional multilateral mechanism on the basis of mutual trust and reciprocity.
In his remarks, President Ma also stated that, while the strategic importance of East Asia is steadily increasing, sovereignty disputes over various islands and sea areas in the region persist. Since last year, disputes over the ADIZs by the parties concerned have made airspace security another point of contention in East Asia. Given Taiwan’s strategic location at the heart of East Asia, the ROC feels duty-bound to call on all the parties concerned to acknowledge the growing crisis, to put aside the vicious competition dating back to the Cold War, and to adopt rational and creative methods that contribute to peace and prosperity in the region.
In his address at the opening ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin pointed out that the East China Sea Peace Initiative proposed by President Ma on August 5, 2012, provides the parties concerned with concrete measures for resolving disputes over sovereignty and resources. It also calls on all the parties to aim for a win-win conclusion to the situation by replacing confrontation with dialogue, shelving territorial disputes in favor of communication, and jointly developing natural resources.
Minister Lin also stated that Taiwan welcomes the US “pivot to Asia” policy, believing that this will have a positive impact on peace and stability in East Asia. He added that the policy also has an economic component—the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—a regional economic integration mechanism that the ROC is endeavoring to join. Moreover, as part of its policy of viable diplomacy, the ROC will continue to make major contributions to the region through its internationally recognized role as a facilitator of peace and provider of humanitarian aid.
Dr. John Hamre, President of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, was invited to deliver a keynote speech, entitled “Regional Security Situation in East Asia—An American Perspective.” He pointed out that extensive exchanges between the United States and mainland China in a wide array of areas, along with greater stability in the Asia-Pacific region, are very much in line with US strategic interests. Dr. Hamre also said that the US belief that territorial disputes should be resolved through diplomatic means tallies with the ROC position outlined in the East China Sea Peace Initiative. He emphasized that Taiwan’s security and prosperity are in the best interests of the United States. He also expressed his support for the US-led TPP, as it concerns not just trade and politics, but also legal and diplomatic standards for resolving disputes peacefully. Former US Senator Scott Brown then delivered a speech on the situation in East Asia, the importance of Taiwan-US relations, and how to respond to the rise of mainland China.(E)