The Presidential Office on the afternoon of June 12 issued a four-point statement regarding the incident of the Taiwan sports fishing boat "Lianhe" that was bumped by a Japanese coast guard vessel and then sank near the Diaoyutai islands.
The content of the statement is as follows:
1. The Diaoyutai islands are territory of the Republic of China. Geographically, the islands are affiliated islets of Taiwan and are under the jurisdiction of the Dasi Village of Yilan County's Toucheng Township.
2. We staunchly maintain our sovereignty over the Diaoyutais. This position has never changed and will absolutely not change in the future. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is extremely clear on this position and will act in accordance with this stance.
3. The ROC vehemently protests the Japanese coast guard vessel operating in the ROC's territorial waters, bumping against a Taiwan fishing boat that caused it to sink, and detaining the captain. The ROC asks that Japan immediately release the captain and provide compensation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is continuing to negotiate with Japan based on the aforementioned principles.
4. We request that the ROC Coast Guard Administration immediately bolster its manpower and equipment to better maintain the ROC's sovereignty and defend the nation's right to fish in territorial waters.