The ROC government decision to strengthen the coast guard’s presence on the Pratas and Spratly islands has triggered widespread debate in Taiwan. Defending these outlying territories is an exceedingly serious issue of national security, but whether the military should be ordered to play a role in this process is another matter.
As a minor player on the world stage, Taiwan cannot afford to make foreign policy blunders, nor should it undertake actions in this area impetuously. Similarly, appeals to nationalism at the expense of the country’s overall interests must be avoided at all costs. Possible future developments should be taken into consideration when drawing up such policies rather than merely focusing on the here and now.
The South China Sea has long been a rich source of territorial disputes among regional neighbors. Ongoing attempts by mainland China to exploit the area’s maritime resources while pushing the issue of sovereignty to one side have provoked strong responses from the U.S. and Association of Southeast Asian members.
While ASEAN nations might be dependent economically on Beijing, in terms of security they look to the U.S. But this might all change if mainland China launches an aircraft carrier and strikes a more aggressive posture in the South China Sea.
Such a possibility could spark a regional military buildup, forcing ASEAN countries to seek new alliances. As a result, the South China Sea may well turn into a major international flashpoint.
Under these conditions, if Taiwan decides to bolster the coast guard’s presence on the Pratas and Spratly islands with ROC marines and requisite air force and navy assets, this would be done on the basis of seeing neighboring countries as potential enemies. In light of increasingly frequent disputes over the islands, such a decision might risk ROC forces becoming involved in armed conflict.
It is worth noting that over the last two or three years Beijing has on several occasions expressed a wish for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together on jointly upholding sovereignty over these territories. Taipei, considering its relationships with Washington, Tokyo and ASEAN members, has wisely ignored these overtures and reaffirmed its position that the Pratas and Spratly islands are integral parts of the ROC.
Beijing may well be acting in good faith by reaching out to Taipei with such offers, but extreme caution is required as acquiescing could jeopardize Taiwan’s independence and see the country further sucked into mainland China’s orbit. Improved relationships with the U.S., Japan and ASEAN nations would also suffer irretrievable reverses.
Taiwan is currently negotiating with Singapore on an accord that is essentially a free trade agreement. It is also seeking talks with Malaysia and other ASEAN members on similar economic pacts. A decision by the government to garrison the Pratas and Spratly islands with marines could cause these countries to change their plans and also undermines efforts aimed at achieving greater economic integration for Taiwan in East Asia.
From this perspective, it is clear the government’s decision to strengthen the coast guard presence on the Pratas and Spratly islands is in the best interests of Taiwan. Although largely a symbolic attempt at defending national territory, it is based on the complex considerations and negotiated compromises of East Asian political reality, cross-strait relations, sovereignty and regional ties. (MCG-JSM)
Chen I-hsin is a professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of the Americas. These views are the author’s and not necessarily those of Taiwan Today. Copyright © 2011 by Chen I-hsin
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