The foreign ministry has reiterated Taiwan’s sovereignty over several disputed island groups in the South China Sea.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Eleanor Wang said Wednesday that the Pratas, Spratly, Paracel and Zhongsha Islands are all Taiwan’s sovereign territory. Wang said that Taiwan’s government will not accept claims to the island groups or their occupation by other claimants.
Wang urged all claimants to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea by adopting President Ma Ying-jeou’s South China Sea Peace Initiative. The initiative calls on all countries with claims in the area to set aside differences and develop the disputed areas’ resources together in a mutually beneficial way.
The South China Sea is the subject of overlapping claims by Taiwan, Mainland China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Wang’s call for cooperation comes as friction between the Philippines and China grows.
The Philippines has asked the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague for arbitration in its sovereignty dispute with China. Preliminary arguments concluded on July 13. China has rejected the use of arbitration.
Meanwhile, speculation is continuing over when President Ma Ying-jeou will visit Taiping Island, one of the disputed South China Sea islands that is under de facto Taiwanese control. In June, Ma said that he may visit the island before the end of his term.