Ma Ying-jeou's Doctoral Thesis and Its Impact on the Japan-Taiwan Fisheries Negotiations

Abstract

The Japan-Taiwan Fisheries Agreement in 2013 not only relates to fisheries issues, but also includes sections on the overall relationship between Japan and Taiwan; the complicated triangle relationship among Japan, China, and Taiwan; and the stability of the East China Sea. Many people who had been following the reports of Japan and Taiwan's major media were surprised that Ma Ying-jeou played a role in the conclusion of the Japan-Taiwan fisheries negotiations. Ma's desire to practice his doctoral thesis served as the driving force for the decision. This paper will attempt to unravel one aspect of the Japan-Taiwan negotiations by focusing on the ideas and political actions of the Taiwanese leader, Ma Ying-jeou. Tracing Ma's thinking back to his days at Harvard University reveals that he has, at different times, seemed like two different people holding contradictory positions. One Ma is a Chinese nationalist who participated in the baodiao (Defend the Diaoyu Islands) movement when he was a student, and the other Ma is an international law scholar who puts aside the sovereignty dispute and advocates joint developments of marine resources, which became essence of the “East China Sea Peace Initiative.” Examining both these viewpoints will help understand the Ma administration's true nature.

Keywords:

• Taiwanese politics
• Ma Ying-jeou
• Japan-Taiwan relations
• Senkaku Islands (Diaoyutai Islands)
• East China Sea Peace Initiative

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yoshiyuki Ogasawara

Yoshiyuki OGASAWARA is an associate professor of Taiwanese politics at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He received his Ph.D. in 1986 from Hitotsubashi University. He has been teaching at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies since 1991. His research interests include contemporary Taiwanese politics and elections, and Taiwan-China relations. He has been observing the development of Taiwanese politics for the past 20 years and has met many Taiwanese politicians including President Ma Ying-jeou and Opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen. His recent publications include Baeikyu Saisen [Re-election of Ma Ying-jeou: Presidential Election in Taiwan in 2012] coedited with Yukihito Sato (Chiba: IDE-JETRO, 2012).