Taiwan reaffirms sovereignty in South China Sea

2023/08/31

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Aug. 29 the sovereignty of the ROC (Taiwan) over islands in the South China Sea and said the country’s rights over the island groups and their surrounding waters are unquestionable under international law and the law of the sea.
 
The MOFA’s remarks followed the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ protest over a drill conducted by Taiwan Aug. 23 in waters around Taiping Island. The ministry said Vietnam’s accusation that Taiwan violated its sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands is totally unacceptable, adding that Taiping Island is part of ROC (Taiwan) territory, and the government has the authority to exercise all the rights of a sovereign state over the island and nearby waters.
 
According to the MOFA, the government’s stance on South China Sea islands is based on four principles and five actions unveiled by President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. Taiwan is willing to participate in an equitable dispute resolution mechanism while jointly working with all stakeholders to advance peace, stability and prosperity in the region, the ministry added.
 
The four principles comprise resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law and the law of the sea; including Taiwan in any multilateral dispute settlement mechanism; ensuring freedom of aviation and navigation in the region; and setting aside differences and resolving disputes through joint development.
 
The five actions are developing Taiping Island—the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands—into a base for providing humanitarian assistance and supplies; safeguarding the rights and safety of Taiwan fishermen operating in the South China Sea; enhancing multilateral dialogue with other relevant parties on collaboration and consensus; conducting scientific research on climate change, earthquakes, geology and meteorology; and encouraging local experts to study the law of the sea so as to strengthen the country’s ability to deal with issues pertaining to international law.


Source: Noticias de Taiwan (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)