By Patrick M. Cronin
Given Taiwan’s precarious lack of strategic depth as an island, it is only fitting that its president, Ma Ying-jeou, should have written his doctoral dissertation on sovereignty disputes in the East China Sea. Last month, President Ma also put forth one of the best pieces of statecraft emanating from the region of late. His East China Sea Peace Initiative calls for restraint and cooperation. Unfortunately, as tensions have mounted in the East and South China Seas, Taiwan expressed its position in some unhelpful ways, including live-fire drills on the largest of the disputed Spratly Islands, and dispatching coast guard patrol ships to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Reports today noted that "Japanese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon to turn away about 40 Taiwan fishing boats and eight Taiwan Coast Guard vessels..."
Like every other actor, Taiwan seeks to mix persuasion and coercion to advance its interests. It’s bad enough when China stifles Taiwan’s contributions to international bodies such as the World Health Organization. But it’s even worse when Taiwan is not part of the conversation about territory and territorial waters that it claims. Taiwan has been turning up the heat over Japan’s move to nationalize the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, as well as Vietnam’s increasing intrusions into territorial waters around Taiping Island.
Read the full story at The Diplomat