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Accompanied by both Minister of National Defense Lee Jye and chief of the Coast Guard Administration Hsu Hui-yu, Chen's high-profile visit to Pengjia yesterday was the second time in a fortnight he had visited Taiwan's remote territories, having visited the southerly Pratas Islands on July 28.

"The Diaoyutais belong to us, belong to Taiwan, there is no doubt about it ... I'm here to show our determination to protect our territory," Chen said.

The chain has, in recent months, became a thorn in the side of Taiwan-Japan relations after local fishermen held a large-scale demonstration last month to protest what they called unfair treatment at the hands of the Japanese coast guard.

Stating that Taiwan and Japan's conflicting claims to the Diaoyutais was a matter separate from that of fishing rights, the president said major local fishermen's associations have also thrown their support behind the government's "separate handling" stance and added that his administration would do whatever it could to secure the best possible benefits for local fishermen in negotiations with Japan.

Chen said that although the 15th round of Taiwan-Japan fishery talks in Tokyo on July 29 reached "no significant breakthrough" given the complexity and sensitivities of issues involved such as overlapping economic zones and conflicting territorial claims, "progress is considered being made so long as we continue to hold talk and keep talking."

"Taiwan, as a liberal, democratic and peace-loving country, is obliged to resolve international disputes through negotiations in line with international law and precedents and not use unilateral confrontational moves," Chen said.

Chen also said that Coast Guard Administration planned to build new bases on Pengjia to facilitate patrol missions and the monitoring of oil exploration disputes among neighboring countries, including Japan, China and South Korea, as well as expanding its policing area and providing better protection for fishermen.

The ownership of Pengjia is not disputed but there are competing claims to maritime areas between Pengjia and the Diaoyutais.

As part of a monument-unveiling ceremony in the islet, the president autographed copies of a new book published by the Coast Guard Administration to provide information about Taiwan's territorial waters and 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

The only one inhabited out of the three islets, Pengjia is guarded by military personnel and coast guard officers.

Japan says China is drilling for gas in disputed area

AP , TOKYO

The Japanese government suspects China has begun drilling gas in the East China Sea along a disputed sea border, and has asked Beijing to stop, officials said yesterday.

Japan and China have been feuding over claims to undersea gas deposits in the East China Sea and the delineation of their exclusive economic zones in the area.

Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Japanese officials detected what they thought were signs that the Chinese had started drilling in the area and complained through diplomatic channels on Tuesday.

"There was a strong possibility that [China] has started drilling gas, so we asked China to confirm and ... stop drilling," Nakagawa told reporters.

He said Japan has not received "satisfactory replies" from China.

REGISTRATION

Meanwhile, a company that was granted drilling rights by the Japanese government last month has completed the registration process to become a licensed drilling company, according to a branch of the trade ministry in southern Japan.

An official of the Kyushu Bureau, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Teikoku Oil Co has paid about ?10 million (US$89,000) in licensing tax as of Aug. 3.

If Teikoku decides to start drilling, however, it still needs to submit a business plan which has to be approved by the bureau, the official said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Tokyo and Beijing have been clashing over the undersea gas deposits amid a broader diplomatic row that has soured bilateral relations in recent months.

The gas dispute stems from a disagreement over how much sea resources the two sides can claim in the East China Sea, which divides China's eastern coast and Japan's southern island chain of Okinawa.

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal countries can claim an economic zone extending 370km from their shores.

WAITING FOR THE UN

Both Japan and China signed the treaty, but the UN has until May 2009 to rule on the claims.

Beijing also bases its claim on a separate international treaty that lets coastal countries extend their borders to the edge of the undersea continental shelf.

China has already built a drilling platform west of the line that Japan regards as the two sides' sea boundary.

Tokyo has repeatedly demanded that Beijing stop exploration over worries that reserves on the Japanese side might be sucked dry.

Teikoku Oil already applied in 1969 and 1970 to drill in the area but Thursday's approval applies to a more specific region based on studies the company conducted in the 1980s and research carried out by the Japanese government, according to Teikoku Oil.

Exhibition hails comfort women

SEX SLAVES: Photographs documenting the realities of former comfort women in Taiwan since the end of World War II 60 years ago are being shown in Taipei

By Mao Huan-wen

CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

Marking 60 years since the end of World War II and following the release last week of Silent Scars, a book dealing with the Japanese military's history of sexual slavery during the war, an exhibition of images entitled "The Resilience of Life: Sixty Years of Taiwanese Comfort Woman Survivors" opened in Taipei yesterday.

The exhibition will run until Aug. 31 in the pedestrian zones of Taipei Warner Village and in Ximending.

According to the organizers -- the Taiwan Women's Rescue Foundation and the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs -- the goal of the exhibition is to remind people of the suffering of "comfort women" and demonstrate their spirit.

"We don't act out of anti-Japan sentiment when we hold these activities and exhibitions. However, it's all about human rights and forcing women to serve as sex slaves for troops is definitely a war crime and a violation of human rights," said Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou yesterday at the exhibition's launch.

The number of comfort women still alive to tell their story is rapidly dwindling. According to the Taiwan Women's Rescue Foundation, there are now only 30 surviving Taiwanese comfort women.

In an explanatory note accompanying the images in the exhibition, one former comfort woman recalled that she and a handful of other women were tricked into doing laundry, housekeeping and nursing chores at first, but were then forced into prostitution. Another said that they had no idea about the reality of their prison home, but they knew it was "a place for accommodating women" and only Japanese imperial troops had access to the women's quarters. Civilians were prohibited from entering.

"War is in fact a behavior stemming from patriarchy. We can easily find many examples of women being suppressed during the war. Those who suffered after the atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki received lots of attention, whereas these women with excruciating memories of sex slavery still struggle for justice," said Liao Hsien-hao, head of the Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs.

Taiwan and Tibet should increase exchanges: forum

By Mo Yan-chih

STAFF REPORTER

Tibet and Taiwan, which have both suffered because of China's military expansionism, should identify with each other's experiences and step up exchanges and cooperation, experts at a Taiwan-Tibet forum said yesterday.

"The future of Tibet has become a focus of attention worldwide by people who support human rights and world peace. As a free and liberal country, Taiwan provides a wonderful environment to develop a platform for the global exchange of information on the Tibet issue," Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission Minister Hsu Chih-hsiung said yesterday during the World Youth Care for Tibet-Taiwan Forum.

Issues

The forum, which opened yesterday and will run until Saturday, brought together 48 youth delegates from Taiwan and 27 other countries including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Bulgaria, India and Nepal. The delegates will discuss the issues Tibet faces in the 21st century from various perspectives and come up with new ideas for the future of both Tibet and Taiwan.

Speaking at the forum, Karma Lekshe Tsomo, a theology and religious studies professor at the University of San Diego, praised the Dalai Lama for his commitment to the preservation of Tibetan culture and promoting human rights.

"In the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the US' military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq -- which changed the nature of global politics and reconfirmed the vulnerable status of smaller nations and people -- it is important to support the intentions expressed by the Tibetan spiritual leader that Tibet be governed by democratic principles," he said.

Pledge

With Tibetan Buddhism flourishing in Taiwan -- there are about 500 Tibetans from India and Nepal living in the country -- Ngodup Wangmo, deputy director of the commission, pledged to help Tibetans live a better life here, and to preserve Tibetan culture.

Lai I-chung, director of Taiwan ThinkTank's international department, said that in the post-Cold War era, the Tibetan issue has transcended conventional political differences.

"Its appeals for human rights, religious freedom, self-determination and peace are universally shared by people of almost all political orientations," he said.

The four-day forum will include discussions of Tibetan issues from both Taiwanese and global perspectives.

Yesterday, independent academics and students talked about cultural differences between Taiwan and Tibet, and shared poems and paintings from Tibet.

Since a failed Tibetan uprising against the Chinese government in 1959, more than 100,000 Tibetans have been living in exile in India, Nepal, Bhutan and other countries around the world. The Dalai Lama lives in exile in India.

Door opened to PRC reporters

LOOSER POLICY: In an effort to bypass China's media control of Taiwan coverage, the government has allowed two regional Chinese newspapers to send reporters here

By Shih Hsiu-chuan

STAFF REPORTER

"With the exception of Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily, many local media organizations have performed very well in both the scope and depth of their reporting."－ Joseph Wu, Mainland Affairs Council chairman

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced yesterday that reporters from China's Nanfang City News and Xinmin Evening News newspapers will be allowed to work in Taiwan.

The decision marks the first time that the government has allowed correspondents from regional Chinese media outlets into the country.

"These two media organizations can file their applications from this point on," Council Chairman Joseph Wu said at a monthly meeting with local media yesterday.

The government first loosened its policy toward Chinese journalists in 1990, and since that time five official news organizations -- Xinhua News Agency, the People's Daily, China Central Television, China National Radio and the China News Service -- have established bureaus in Taiwan.

In April, however, Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily were temporarily prevented from stationing journalists in Taiwan, a decision that followed China's enactment of the "Anti-Secession" Law.

Council officials said at the time that the two agencies' coverage of Taiwan-related news had not helped China "understand Taiwanese society."

While the ban on those state-controlled organizations remains, the government has decided to advance cross-strait exchanges with China's regional media.

"With the exception of Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily, many local media organizations have performed very well in both the scope and depth of their reporting. We hope that the Chinese people can know more about Taiwan from different points of view," Wu said.

Wu added that the two organizations were responsible for turning a profit, and had also made progress in increasing their circulation in recent years.

"On the basis of these factors, the government decided to invite them to come to Taiwan to cover news," he said.

Wu said that the two organizations were willing to station their correspondents in Taiwan on the terms that the council had requested.

"However, whether the Chinese government will approve their applications is the key problem," Wu said. "This is [an expression of] Taiwan's goodwill in advancing cross-strait cultural exchanges, which are helpful in bringing about mutual understanding."

Wu called on the Chinese authorities to acknowledge the government's good intentions.

Australia studies video of man threatening attacks

BLURRED FOOTAGE: Intelligence officials are examining a video of a masked militant speaking English with what is said to be an Australian accent

AFP , SYDNEY

"He seems to be a native English speaker. And, bearing in mind we do have a very small number of Australians who are `jihadists' ... we can't rule it out that it's an Australian."－ Alexander Downer, Australian foreign minister

Australian intelligence officers are studying a video broadcast on Arab television showing a masked militant with an apparently Australian accent making terror threats, officials said yesterday.

The video, shown on Australian television after first being aired on Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television, shows the man holding an automatic rifle and warning of attacks while criticizing British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush.

"The honorable sons of Islam will not just let you kill our families in Palestine, Afghanistan, Kashmir and the Balkans, Indonesia, the Caucasus and elsewhere," the militant says in what local media called an Australian accent.

"It is time for us to be equals. As you kill us, you'll be killed. As you bomb us, you will be bombed."

The masked man, wearing a black balaclava and combat gear, claims a group of Al-Qaeda "fighters" carried out an attack on a helicopter that killed 16 soldiers in Afghanistan in June.

The video features blurred footage said to be of a rocket attack on the helicopter.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said yesterday that while it was difficult to be sure of the man's nationality, officials were trying to identify whether he is Australian.

The cleric, Abdul Nasser Ben Brika, said in a televised interview in Australia that his students were justified in training for "jihad" or holy war and defended their right to fight against Australian and other US-led troops deployed in Iraq.

Prime Minister John Howard condemned the cleric's remarks and signaled that a summit meeting of state leaders and security service chiefs next month could result in new legislation outlawing such talk.

The summit has been called in the wake of the London bombings last month which killed more than 50 people and amid mounting concern that Australia could face similar attacks.

Howard has noted that the London suicide bombers were British, and has also called a meeting with Australian Islamic leaders in an attempt to prevent the spread of militant ideas among local Muslims.

Australia, which contributed troops to the US-led invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq, has already charged several Muslims under terrorism laws adopted since the Sept. 11 attacks on the US.

It's time for President Chen Shui-bian to accept reality. The special arms procurement budget will never pass -- at least, not in anything like its current form. It's time to give up on the special budget tactic, which has left the pan-greens looking ineffectual and incompetent.

However, losing this long, drawn-out battle does not mean that Chen and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have to admit defeat. The pan-blues have already made a grave mistake that will allow the administration to achieve its stated goal and acquire the items it has proclaimed are vital for Taiwan's defense.

The key is to do exactly what some pan-blue legislators have been calling on the administration to do for several months: Include the procurement of the items in the annual defense budget.

And, ironic as it may seem, this can be accomplished in a way that shouldn't be at all distasteful for the administration: by having Chen fulfill his promises.

The president has previously said that he wanted to increase the nation's defense expenditures from the current level of 2.4 percent of GDP to 3 percent.

Pan-blue legislators -- including outspoken and influential members of the Legislative Yuan's National Defense Committee -- have already said that they would agree to such a move. And despite the fact that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) used the "special budget" mechanism to purchase F-16 Falcon fighters from the US and Mirage 2000-5s from France in the 1990s, the pan-blues now repeatedly argue that this mechanism is inappropriate for defense expenditures. They want the items listed in the special budget to be included in the annual budget.

The math is quite simple. The proposed special arms budget, as it stands now, would require the government to spend NT$480 billion (US$15 billion) over 15 years to purchase three major weapons systems from the US. This translates to a little over US$1 billion a year to purchase eight diesel-electric submarines, three PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile batteries and 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

Taiwan has budgeted about US$8 billion to spend on defense for Fiscal 2005. If the annual defense budget were increased to 3 percent of GDP -- about US$9.3 billion -- this would mean that the Ministry of National Defense would have an added US$1.3 billion to spend on shiny new toys. Over 15 years, the added amount would total a whopping US$19.5 billion -- US$4.5 billion in excess of the amount requested for the special arms procurement budget.

The best aspect of the "3 percent solution" is that it would allow Chen and the DPP to call the pan-blues' bluff.

Because the truth is that the pan-blues aren't concerned about fiscal responsibility. They simply oppose any policy initiative proposed by the Chen administration because their ideology is based on one thing alone: recovering political power, at any cost.

This is why, even as the country's declared enemy is openly planning an invasion, the pan-blues will not let Chen take the steps necessary to ensure that Taiwan remains a de facto independent, sovereign state.

This is why the pan-blues are ready to surrender to Beijing and sell out this country's hard-earned democracy.

And this is why it is vital for the DPP to find a way to make progress on this issue -- to achieve substantial results and not just score a few political points with pithy sound bites.

So let the pan-blues choke on their own words by giving them an offer they can't refuse; an offer that they are already on record as agreeing to.

Give up on the special arms budget, because that's the only way Taiwan can acquire the items the budget was meant to buy.

Japan, in its recent national defense white paper, urged caution over China's military expansionism. Over the course of the past 17 years, the percentage increase of China's military expenditure has been measured in double digits. This year the budget was 244.7 billion yuan (more than US$30 billion), an increase of 12 percent from last year. Nevertheless, these figures are actually just the tip of the iceberg, as many items on the budget have been buried in figures for military equipment and weapons research and development.

At the same time, in order to ensure that its maritime supply lines, particularly for oil and gas, are not in danger of being cut off by any foreign power, China sees the need to strengthen its navy and air force. This is seen as important to provide a stable, reliable basis for the nation's rise. According to the Japanese white paper, China has been building submarines and rapidly modernizing its military, as well as developing its air force's mid-air refuelling capabilities and early-warning systems. These are all in preparation for having a military presence in the Pacific Ocean.

China's rise is now an indisputable fact. Although the Chinese rhetoric focuses on how the next two decades are to be devoted to economic development, the discussion about a "peaceful rise" has cleverly cloaked Beijing's expansionist ambitions. The past several years have seen China purchasing advanced military equipment from Russia, and attempting to import weapons from EU countries. This is surely enough to reveal its ambitions to extend overseas, and to become a dominant force in the Asia-Pacific region.

The rise of China has also precipitated a power struggle in the Asia-Pacific. China's influence in this region is gradually increasing due to its rapid economic and military growth. At the same time, this is squeezing out Taiwan, making it more difficult for the nation to compete on the international stage. It threatens Taiwan by refusing to rule out military action, even as it engages in an all-encompassing, multi-faceted war of attrition, manipulating law, public opinion and psychology.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao are using different tactics from those employed by former president Jiang Zemin, who relied on written attacks and military threats. Instead, they are using a more inspired and integrated approach, creating a united front against Taiwan.

Faced with this considerable external threat, Taiwan doesn't even have the advantage of a common consensus of opposition, and the pro-Beijing political parties are vying to get Taiwanese agricultural products exported to China independent of our own government, helping China undermine Taipei's authority.

In the face of the ever-increasing military threat from China, the pro-Beijing parties are holding up the passage of the budget which will enable Taiwan to buy US weapons. This is little short of encouraging China to invade Taiwan, and then to expand into the Asia-Pacific region. The repercussions of all this are very worrying indeed.

Given the threat that exists from China, Taiwan should form an Asia-Pacific security community with the US and Japan, to deal with Beijing's military rise. Without strength there is no peace, but Taiwan should neither engage in a senseless mutual escalation with China, nor tie the question of security within the Taiwan Strait to whether or not China will invade Taiwan.

The best way to avoid and prevent an attack from China is for the entire population of Taiwan to demonstrate the resolve and willingness to protect their homeland. This is what is meant by the terms "civilian-based defense" and "psychological defense."