The Presidential Office has said it rejects the ruling of the Hague Tribunal on the South China Sea.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague gave its verdict on the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China on Tuesday.
The court declared that the nine-dash line used by Beijing to demarcate its claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea does not have a legal basis. Part of the ruling also stated that all the land features in the disputed Spratly chain are reefs and not islands. This affects Taiwan, which holds Taiping, the largest natural island in the South China Sea.
The Presidential Office said the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) had not been invited to take part in the court’s proceedings, nor had its views been consulted. It says it does not hold the tribunal’s verdict to be legally binding.
China meanwhile has refused to recognize the PCA’s jurisdiction in the case since it was brought by the Philippines in 2013.
Foreign Minister David Lee will report to the Legislature regarding the verdict on Wednesday.