President Ma Ying-jeou says he hopes that officials and reporters will soon be able to make regular trips to Taiping Island. Ma was speaking Wednesday in Belize, where he is on an official visit.
Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, is the largest of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is under Taiwanese administration but is also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, and China.
Ma’s remark comes amid reports in Taiwan’s media that say the Presidential Office will send a preliminary batch of foreign reporters to the island next week.
According to these reports, the move is designed to back Taiwan’s assertion that the island is capable of supporting human life and economic activity. This is expected to counter the Philippines’ argument that the island is a rock. At stake are the entitlements to territorial sea, contiguous and Exclusive Economic Zones, and the continental shelf rights that come with an island but not with a rock.
Ma said that there are plans underway to open up the island, which is under military jurisdiction, to official inspections and tours for media personnel. But he said that local weather conditions mean that the exact timing of future inspections may not be known until the last minute.
Ma also said that the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague is aware of Taiwan’s position on South China Sea issues. In May, the court is expected to deliver its judgment on a case lodged against China by the Philippines over disputes in the area.