Taiwan wants to be included in the crafting of a code of conduct aimed at ending long-standing disputes and preventing clashes in the South China Sea territories. Taiwan’s representative to the Philippines, Donald Lee, said at a reception on Wednesday, that Taipei should be a signatory to the code being discussed between Southeast Asian countries and China as it lays claim to one of the largest islands in the Spratlys. The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, and islands in the South China Sea. It is located between the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and China. The Spratlys comprise less than four square kilometers of land area, spread over more than 425,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys is political divided among the following:
Brunei: claims the Louisa Reef and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); Malaysia: claims part of the state of Sabah (also claimed by the Philippines); Philippines: part of Palawan province; People's Republic of China: claims part of the Paracels, Spratlys, and Zhongsha Islands Authority, Hainan province; Republic of China: part of Kaohsiung municipality Vietnam: part of Khanh Hoa Province; Part of the mechanism Lee said Taiwan should be part of the crafting of the code of conduct that will help settle disputes in the Spratlys. “We should be invited to be part of this mechanism," Lee said. “Taiwan holds the biggest island in the South China Sea and we call it the Taiping Island," he added. A democratic self-governing island, Taiwan has been separated from the Chinese mainland since 1949 but the Beijing government claims it as part of its territory. One-China policy All Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, including the Philippines, did not forge diplomatic relations with Taiwan in deference to the One-China Policy. China objects to any foreign contact that appears to treat Taiwan as a sovereign government. Non-binding code of conduct In 2002, Southeast Asian nations — the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand and China — signed a landmark non-binding code of conduct in the Spratlys. The code was intended to reduce the tension among the claimants by maintaining the status quo and temporarily putting ownership issues in the backburner. The code prohibits any activity that might negatively affect situation in the area. It also encourages activities to build trust, cooperation and mutual confidence among the claimants. The United States has been concerned that the dispute would affect access to the area, considered one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes. The US fears that a dispute would limit access to the area and affect commerce between the US and Asia. The US has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to forge a stronger code of conduct in the Spratlys. The US likewise offered to assist in the negotiations for the crafting of the new document. According to Lee, Taiwan “strongly supports" the US participation. “Taiwan is more than happy to see US involved in the South China Sea issue," he said. China previously rejected a formal code of conduct drafted by the Philippines and Vietnam in 1999, saying it would legitimize the claims of other states. However, China is now “open to different formulas and initiative in preserving peace prosperity and stability in this region," said its envoy to Manila Liu Jianchao. –VVP, GMANews.TV 
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