ROC stance on South China Sea award garners headlines in Philippines

2016/07/28

The Republic of China (Taiwan) government’s rejection of the recent award rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines, as well as its reasons for doing so, is receiving widespread media coverage in the Southeast Asia nation.

In the article, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines Representative Gary Song-huann Lin said “a peaceful, law-abiding and non-threatening Taiwan/ROC has turned out to be the biggest innocent victim of the PCA award.” He added that “to the government and people of Taiwan/ROC, the tribunal’s decision is unacceptable, unfair and double standards.”

Comprising numerous decisions, the July 12 PCA award classified Taiping Island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands as a rock and not an island. This would call into question the ROC’s rightful claim to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone around Taiping Island.

The piece was published by a number of leading media outlets in the Philippines such as Business Mirror, The Manila Times, People’s Journal, The Philippine Star, The Standard and Tonight.

“Such coverage has enhanced the understanding of Filipino readers of the issue, added impetus to bilateral ties and is testament to the calm, fair and rational approach adopted by Lin in responding to the award,” a TECO official said July 26.

Lin further states four reasons for this position. First, the name “Taiwan Authority of China” is incorrect, humiliating and demeaning to the status of the ROC as a sovereign state. Second, Taiping Island was not originally included in the scope of the arbitration, but the tribunal took it upon itself to expand its authority, declaring Taiping Island as a rock.

Third, the tribunal neither consulted with nor invited the ROC to participate in the case. “The ROC voices and views were not present during the arbitration process.” And fourth, the criteria used by the tribunal to define an island are too narrowly defined and legalistically contentious.

“In fact, the tribunal created a brand new definition of a rock,” he said, adding that this would put many Pacific countries and islands in the same category as they do not have sufficient fresh water and need to import food.

According to Lin, his article is not intended to challenge the position of the Philippines, but aims to point out that the award has further complicated the South China Sea situation. “Taiwan is genuine friend of the Philippines,” he said. “We share the common values of freedom, democracy, free media, and similar culture and destiny.”

Looking forward, Lin said expanding multifaceted cooperation and partnerships with the Philippines—a gateway to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—is a top priority for the government as it implements President Tsai Ing-wen’s New Southbound Policy. “The ROC is willing and committed to working with all states concerned to settle disputes of the South China Sea through multilateral consultations and dialogues conducted on a basis of equality and fairness,” he said.

Taiping Island, with an area of 0.51 square kilometers, is the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha Islands. It has freshwater, can sustain human habitation and an economic life of its own, and meets the criteria of an island as defined in Article 121 of U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. 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=246546&ctNode=2194&mp=9)