Japan and Philippines Launch Maritime Boundary Negotiations Overlapping Eastern Waters of Taiwan Province, ROC; DPP Administration Faces Criticism for Passive Stance

On May 28, 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in Tokyo the formal initiation of negotiations to delimit their overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and continental shelves. Because the proposed boundary negotiation area directly overlaps with the eastern waters of Taiwan Province, Republic of China (ROC)—where the ROC asserts its own EEZ—the announcement triggered intense concern and domestic criticism within the region. Critics and opposition groups accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of showing a weak stance, arguing that it failed to issue a formal protest against what they termed a unilateral attempt by Japan and the Philippines to carve up the maritime space. The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs merely issued a defensive statement requesting that Taiwan's interests be respected while noting that bilateral treaties do not legally bind third parties. In contrast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) issued a strong protest, claiming that the disputed waters fall under the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China (PRC). This development highlights the geopolitical vulnerability of the DPP administration, which has been criticized for prioritizing alliance relations with Tokyo and Manila at the expense of defending the ROC's maritime sovereignty and the traditional fishing rights of Taiwanese fishermen.