ROC stance on South China Sea award garners global headlines

2016/07/20

The Republic of China (Taiwan) government’s position that the nation maintains full sovereignty and all rights over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters has generated widespread international media coverage following the recent award rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the South China Sea Arbitration initiated by the Philippines.

Tung Chen-yuan, spokesman of the Executive Yuan, said July 18 that the government has provided news releases and relevant statements to more than 400 members of the international media since the award was announced six days before.

Tung, who made the remarks while responding to questions from the local media, said the government’s position is clear on the award. “The arbitral tribunal did not formally invite the ROC to participate in its proceedings, nor did it solicit the ROC’s views. The award is therefore completely unacceptable and has no legally binding force on Taiwan.”

There have been more than 200 reports to date on the ROC’s position by global media outlets such as AFP, Bloomberg, CNN and Reuters, as well as news agencies in Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

Comprising numerous decisions, the award classified Taiping Island as a rock and not an island. This would call into question the ROC’s rightful claim to a 200-nautical-mile EEZ on Taiping Island.

The award has evoked strong reactions in Taiwan. The Office of the President, Executive Yuan and several ministries immediately issued statements reaffirming that the ROC is entitled to all rights over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters in accordance with international law and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On July 13, President Tsai Ing-wen ordered ROC navy Kangding-class frigate Dihua to depart 24 hours early on a regular patrol of the South China Sea. Three days later, the Coast Guard Administration dispatched a 1,000-ton cutter to the region on a mission of undetermined duration.

Taiping Island, with an area of 0.51 square kilometers, is the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands. It can sustain human habitation and an economic life of its own, and meets the criteria of an island as defined in Article 121 of UNCLOS. Therefore, the ROC enjoys full rights associated with territorial waters, a contiguous zone, an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf in accordance with UNCLOS.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=246322&ctNode=2194&mp=9)