TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Presidential hopeful Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) came under fire Thursday (June 8) for claiming in a Japanese media interview that Taiwan was not interested in the Diaoyutai Islands, as long as Taiwanese fishers were free to catch fish there.

The uninhabited islands between Japan and Taiwan, surrounded by rich fishing waters, have been held by Japan, while Taiwan and China claim sovereignty. During the 1990s, activists set off in ships from north Taiwan to try and plant Taiwanese flags on the islands, leading to confrontations with Japanese coast guard vessels.

Visiting Japan, Ko said in an interview with broadcaster NHK the average Taiwanese did not really want to take over the Diaoyutai, known as Senkaku in Japan. It was sufficient for Taiwanese fishers to be allowed to fish there freely, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chair said.

Ko’s comments touched off criticism from lawmakers in Taiwan, CNA reported. Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accused him of not caring about the nation’s sovereignty. If there was no sovereignty, fishers would not be able to receive protection from the coast guard, and there could be no talks with other countries, she said.

Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator William Tseng (曾銘宗) reminded Ko that Taiwan and Japan signed a fisheries agreement in 2013. The deal set disputes about overlapping areas aside and allowed fishing to continue, Tseng said.

Ko’s office in Taiwan said that while he would defend Taiwan’s sovereignty, there was also a need to be practical and consider the real situation on the ground. All Ko had wanted to do, was to highlight the interests of Taiwanese fishers, and use the opportunity to defend their cause in Japan’s mainstream media, his spokesperson said.

In the Jan. 13, 2024 presidential elections, Ko will face Vice President and DPP Chair Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) for the KMT.