|
The Sino-Japanese dispute over a contested group of islands in the East China Sea took another turn on Wednesday when Beijing vowed to protect fishing boats from Taiwan – which also claims the islands – from the Japanese coast guard. 中日围绕东海一个有争议群岛的纠纷周三出现一个新的转折，北京方面誓言保护台湾渔船（台湾也宣称拥有相关海岛的主权）不受日本海上保安厅的驱赶。 The pledge highlights efforts by Beijing to seize on regional territorial disputes to strengthen its sovereignty claim over Taiwan itself, amid improving cross-Strait ties. 这一承诺突显出，在台海两岸关系好转的大背景下，北京方面以地区性领土纠纷为契机，努力加强其对台湾本身的主权主张。 “Mainland government ships are already providing services to fishermen from both sides of the Strait,” said Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office. “The two sides of the strait are one family. Brothers, even if they argue at home, should stand united against aggression from outside.” “大陆公务船已经并将继续在该海域巡航执法、护渔维权，为两岸渔民提供服务，”北京的国务院台湾事务办公室表示。“两岸同胞是一家人，‘兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮’。” The statement follows a confrontation this week between the Japanese and Taiwanese coast guards near the Senkaku Islands, which are controlled by Japan but claimed by Beijing and Taipei. | 
