President Ma Ying-jeou said that opinions from Taiwan’s legal experts have been sent to the South China Sea arbitration tribunal. Ma said on his Facebook page on Sunday that this is a new and important development. The South China Sea and its mostly uninhabited islands are subject to competing claims of sovereignty by several countries including Taiwan, China, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Philippines filed a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) challenging the legality of mainland China’s claims in the South China Sea.
Ma also said the government has set up memorial tablets on Pengjia islet and Taiping Island to proclaim Taiwan’s sovereignty and its pursuit of peace to the global community. Ma went to the islet on Saturday to promote his East China Sea Peace Initiative. The initiative calls for increased dialogue and putting aside differences and tensions over the region.
The president highlighted the fisheries agreement between Taiwan and Japan that was able to resolve controversies that had gone for over 40 years. He said the agreement was based on parity and mutual respect. It was able to help the fishing industry and contribute to peace in the region.