Taiwan, PHL officials discuss Spratlys issue

A senior Taiwanese official met with Philippine liaison officers last Monday over their claims to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported that Vice Foreign Minister Shen Ssu-tsun met with Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chairman Amadeo Perez Jr. and managing director Antonio Basilio. “Shen reiterated Taiwan’s sovereignty claim over the South China Sea during his meeting with the Philippine representatives and presented relevant documents to them to back the country’s claim," the CNA report said. Moreover, it said Shen urged countries surrounding the South China Sea to include Taiwan in their dialogue mechanism to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner. Perez and Basilio promised to faithfully convey Taiwan’s stance to the Philippine government, the CNA report added. The meeting came after the Philippines made an official complaint before the United Nations regarding China’s claim to the South China Sea. Aside from the Philippines, China and Taiwan, and three other claimants – Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam – lay claim to the Spratlys. Taiwan claims control over the Pratas Islands, the largest island in the entire South China Sea, and Taiping Island, the largest island in the Spratlys area. A separate news release by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) maintained Taiwan “enjoys all rights over the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands), as well as their surrounding waters, seabed and subsoil, which are an inherent part of the territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan)." It said Taiwan’s government “calls on countries bordering the islands to shelve disputes in order to seek a rational and peaceful resolution." MOFA reiterates its position as follows: 1. Whether looked at from the perspective of history, geography or international law, the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands), the Shisha Islands (Paracel Islands), the Chungsha Islands (Macclesfield Islands) and the Tungsha Islands (Pratas Islands), as well as their surrounding waters, sea beds and subsoil, are all an inherent part of the territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan). These archipelagos therefore fall under the sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the government reasserts that it enjoys all rights over the islands and their surrounding waters, and that it does not accept any claim to sovereignty over, or occupation of, these areas by other countries or territories. 2. Taiwan calls on countries bordering the South China Sea to respect the principles and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to refrain from adopting unilateral measures that might threaten the peace and stability of the region. 3. Taiwan reiterates that it upholds the basic principles of “safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, peace and reciprocity, and joint exploration" and remains willing to work with other countries on exploring resources in the South China Sea. 4. Taiwan also urges the countries concerned to exercise self-restraint so that peaceful resolutions to the disputes can be reached through consultation and dialogue. Taiwan remains willing to participate in such dialogue that seeks to find resolutions to disputes and promote regional peace, stability and development. — LBG, GMA News