President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 29 with Professor Warwick Gullett, Dean of Australia's University of Wollongong Faculty of Law. In addition to welcoming Professor Gullett to Taiwan, the president also briefed him on the successes that Taiwan has had in resolving fishing disputes with Japan and the Philippines.
In remarks, President Ma first noted that Professor Gullett has an impressive academic background. He is renowned in Australia for his expertise in the international law of the sea, and his specific focus is on marine environmental law and shipping management. The president stated that Professor Gullett has long strived to promote academic interaction between Taiwan and Australia in international marine issues, and specially mentioned that Mrs. Gullett is from Taichung in central Taiwan, so he feels a special connection.
The president stated that Taiwan and Australia are similar in that both are surrounded on all sides by water, which provides abundant resources and convenient transportation. However, Taiwan faces several new issues related to the sea. Taiwan has used peaceful means to resolve maritime disputes with several neighboring nations, he noted, adding that while the ROC was unable to participate in negotiations on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or to become a signatory, most of the provisions in the convention reflect customary international law, so even though Taiwan has not signed the convention, it basically still applies here.
The president briefed Professor Gullett on Taiwan's achievements in resolving fisheries disputes with Japan and the Philippines in a peaceful manner. In order to resolve a longstanding dispute with Japan that had prompted Japan to interfere with Taiwanese fishermen operating around the Diaoyutai Islets, in August of last year he unveiled his East China Sea Peace Initiative, which emphasizes that "although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared." Taiwan's government in November engaged in fishing talks with Japan, and the two sides on April 10 of this year signed a fisheries agreement, he said. The president stated that the content of the pact and the method of its implementation do not prejudice either side's sovereignty claims under the law of the sea, and further noted that this agreement has enabled Taiwan to achieve its objective of "not ceding an inch on sovereignty, but making great progress in terms of fishing rights."
In addition, the president mentioned the Guang Da Xing No. 28 fishing boat shooting incident in this May, in which a Taiwanese fishing boat came under fire from a Philippine government vessel, damaging the fishing boat and resulting in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman. President Ma stated that the government's position here has been resolute from day 1. After over three months of negotiations, coordination, and cooperation, the Philippines ultimately issued a formal apology and compensation to the family of the fisherman who was killed, he said, adding that the Philippine government has agreed to bring charges against the coast guard personnel responsible for the incident. The president also commented that Taiwan and the Philippines recently have engaged in fishing negotiations and reached a preliminary agreement to avoid unilaterally enforcing laws through the use of force without first notifying the other side of its intention.
President Ma emphasized that these are two examples of Taiwan this year utilizing the international law of the sea to resolve disputes, so it is clear that the ROC has achieved a lot through pragmatic use of the law. At the same time, the president said, this has helped to maintain peace and justice in the region. He stated that since similar disputes could well recur in the South China Sea or other regions, Taiwan intends to continue to research this topic, and he urged Professor Gullett to provide his valuable opinions to help Taiwan make even more appropriate preparations for what it might face in the future.
Professor Gullett and National Taiwan Normal University Professor Kuan-Hsiung Wang (王冠雄) were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Deputy Interior Minister Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家淇) to meet with President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Francis Yi-Hua Kan (甘逸驊).