Palace tells DFA to check Taiwanese structures in Spratlys
01/30/2008 | 06:46 PM
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday he has directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to verify reports that another structure, including an airstrip, has been set up by Taiwan in one of the islets in the disputed Spratly Islands.
Ermita said he has not received any information or reports on the Taiwanese structures but he would ask DFA to look into it and determine how it could possibly affect the current claims on the disputed islands.
“We will ask DFA to submit their position and recommendation on how to address it," he said.
He added that as far as he knows, there is an existing agreement between the Philippines, Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China for a joint exploration and development of the Spratlys. The agreement also bars the conduct of any activity in the group of islands without first informing the other countries.
Ermita said the important thing is “there is national level agreement between the three countries."
Asked how the agreement would affect Taiwan, which is being claimed by China, and is not a signatory to the agreement, he said: “We have a one-China policy so we will only deal with the national government of the PROC on this matter."
Taiwan had started constructions of a 1,150 meter runway in mid-2006 in Taiping, the biggest islet in Spratly’s which Vietnam is also claiming. Vietnam has named the islet Thai Binh.
The Defense and Foreign Ministries of Taiwan had both announced that the runway is almost complete.
A C-130 aircraft from Taiwan had been reported to have landed at the air strip this month as part of preparations for the planned visit of President Chen Shui-bian to the island March 22.
Vietnam, China and Taiwan are claiming the whole of the Spratlys, which is believed to be rich oil and gas fields, as their own territory while Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines are claim portions of the islets and coral reefs. - GMANews.TV
Ermita said he has not received any information or reports on the Taiwanese structures but he would ask DFA to look into it and determine how it could possibly affect the current claims on the disputed islands.
“We will ask DFA to submit their position and recommendation on how to address it," he said.
He added that as far as he knows, there is an existing agreement between the Philippines, Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China for a joint exploration and development of the Spratlys. The agreement also bars the conduct of any activity in the group of islands without first informing the other countries.
Ermita said the important thing is “there is national level agreement between the three countries."
Asked how the agreement would affect Taiwan, which is being claimed by China, and is not a signatory to the agreement, he said: “We have a one-China policy so we will only deal with the national government of the PROC on this matter."
Taiwan had started constructions of a 1,150 meter runway in mid-2006 in Taiping, the biggest islet in Spratly’s which Vietnam is also claiming. Vietnam has named the islet Thai Binh.
The Defense and Foreign Ministries of Taiwan had both announced that the runway is almost complete.
A C-130 aircraft from Taiwan had been reported to have landed at the air strip this month as part of preparations for the planned visit of President Chen Shui-bian to the island March 22.
Vietnam, China and Taiwan are claiming the whole of the Spratlys, which is believed to be rich oil and gas fields, as their own territory while Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines are claim portions of the islets and coral reefs. - GMANews.TV
