Taiwan has formally requested Japan and the Philippines to include Taipei in upcoming discussions regarding maritime boundaries in waters located east of the democratic island.
The call for dialogue follows a joint announcement by Tokyo and Manila detailing plans to initiate official negotiations aimed at defining their respective exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and continental shelves.
The bilateral talks were made public during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official visit to Japan, where he held a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
In a public declaration, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly asserted its legitimate territorial and maritime rights over the surrounding waters, pointing out that the proposed negotiation zone directly overlaps with Taipei’s own claimed EEZ.
“Given that the area that Japan and the Philippines plan to delimit through negotiations substantially overlaps with Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone in waters east of Taiwan, Taiwan again calls on both countries to take this fact into full consideration, fully take Taiwan’s rights and interests into account, and engage in consultations with Taiwan on relevant issues,” the ministry said.
Taiwan maintained that its sovereignty and maritime jurisdictions remain indisputable.
The planned negotiations have also drawn sharp criticism from China, which views Taiwan as part of its own territory. Beijing has condemned the talks as unlawful while pushing its own expansive maritime claims in the region.
However, Taipei rejected Beijing’s objections, reiterating its long-standing position that Taiwan and China are separate, independent jurisdictions with neither being subordinate to the other.
The maritime boundary talks unfold as the Philippines and Japan steadily deepen their security and diplomatic ties, driven by mutual anxieties over China’s growing assertiveness in regional waters.
While neither Tokyo nor Manila maintains formal diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, both nations continue to foster robust unofficial relations with Taipei through economic, cultural, and security cooperation.