Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou has reiterated the government’s position that the South China Sea islands belong to the Republic of China. The Republic of China is Taiwan’s official name.
Ou was speaking Thursday, shortly after China and the United States raised yet another dispute about the South China Sea. Ou said there should be no doubt that Taiwan’s rights to the islands and the surrounding waters are protected by international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Ou went on to say that the foreign ministry’s stance on the islands of the South China Sea remains unchanged. She said that this stance aligns with President Tsai Ing-wen’s 2016 announcement of the “four principles and five no’s” in handling South China Sea disputes.
The principles say that Taiwan should aim for peaceful resolution of disputes over the islands. They also said that Taiwan should be included in discussions about the settlement of disputes. In addition, they promote joint development of the sea and ask all parties to disputes in the region to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight.