President Ma calls for peaceful resolution of ADIZ disputes

by EBR

During the annual meeting of the Chinese (Taiwan) Society of International Law on December 14, ROC President Ma Ying-jeou addressed the legal aspects of air defense identification zones (ADIZ), telling a forum of legal scholars that the best way to resolve disputes is rational dialogue. Ma, who holds a Harvard law degree, explained that an ADIZ is meant for early warning and aviation safety and does not represent territorial claims or territorial airspace.

The president urged countries with overlapping ADIZ claims in the East China Sea to sit down for talks “to prevent accidents” in the tense region. At the same time he reiterated his government’s stance that the Diaoyutai Islands, despite being administered by Japan as the Senkaku Islands and claimed by mainland China, belong to Taiwan. Ma’s East China Sea Peace Initiative, proposed to resolve disputes over the Diaoyutai Islets dating back to August 2012, calls on parties to exercise self-restraint, avoid escalating tensions, maintain dialogue and respect international law.