Ma’s trip to the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, 1,600 kilometers south of Taiwan, was the second by an ROC president after Chen Shui-bian in 2008.
During his stay, the president lauded Coast Guard Administration personnel stationed on Taiping Island for safeguarding the ROC territory, while strengthening the nation’s role as an international peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid.
Tokyo-based The Diplomat sees the move as a strong confirmation of the nation’s effective control over Taiping Island since the end of World War II. In a report published Jan. 29, the magazine said Ma’s visit attaches significance to Taiwan’s infrastructure development on Taiping Island, echoing historical evidence for its legal status.
“Whether from the perspective of history, geography or international law, it is indisputable that the Nansha, Shisha [Parcel], Chungsha [Macclesfield Bank] and Tungsha [Pratas] islands, as well as their surrounding waters, are inherent parts of the territory of the ROC,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding they were first discovered, named and incorporated into national territory during dynastic Chinese rule.
According to the MOFA, the ROC has maintained a permanent presence on Taiping Island and developed the island via government projects over the past decades. This qualifies it without question as an island under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
But recent sovereignty claims by other parties regarding Taiping Island and surrounding islands have made the region one of international concern. Ma expounded in depth his administration’s stance on this matter after returning from the trip.
“The ROC government is seeking a viable path to advocate the peaceful use of Taiping Island in accordance with the principles of safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, pursuing peace and reciprocity, and promoting joint development,” Ma said during an international media conference at Taipei City’s Songshan Air Force Base.
“Such a pragmatic development path is based on the South China Sea Peace Initiative I proposed in May 2015, which has yielded first fruits in the signing of an agreement on facilitating bilateral cooperation in fisheries law enforcement between Taiwan and the Philippines last November,” he said. “This positive development is sure to minimize related disputes in the two countries’ overlapping waters.”
The visit is also viewed by The Wall Street Journal as establishing Ma’s legacy of rapprochement with Beijing, while Reuters sees it as adopting a more conciliatory tone proposing joint exploration and the sharing of resources.
At the same time, the trip paves the way toward integrated planning and zonal development for the South China Sea, an approach materializing in a roadmap of three yeses and three noes for implementing the president’s peace initiative.
“Comprising three phases of progress, we are saying yes to cooperation and no to confrontation,” Ma said when unveiling the plan during the media conference. “A development mechanism must be established among all countries and territories in the South China Sea to promote prosperity and stability, and sovereignty disputes should be set aside for future resolution through peaceful means.
“We are also saying yes to sharing and no to monopolizing. The collaborative platform should ensure equal participation and resource sharing among all relevant parties to avoid undermining any rights and interests.
“And yes to pragmatism, no to intransigence. Focus should be placed on aspects beneficial to all and achieving a consensus. All cooperation opportunities should be pragmatically and gradually promoted, without any party insisting on its position.”
The prime location and robust infrastructure development of Taiping Island makes it ideal as the starting point for implementing the roadmap, according to Ma.
“The ROC government is working to transform Taiping Island into an ecologically friendly and low-carbon island, while strengthening its capacity for peace and rescue operations,” he said, citing the active role played by Taiping Island in recent years to provide emergency response and relief aid with the establishment of Nansha Hospital, as well as the construction of a wharf and lighthouse.
Through these concrete actions, Ma said the ROC aims to demonstrate to the global community that the country is committed to fulfilling its international obligations, so as to turn the South China Sea into one of peace and cooperation.
“At the same time, we very much hope all parties concerned can participate in building the coordination and cooperation mechanism outlined by my roadmap,” he said. “There is every reason to believe we can all benefit from joining hands on such issues as disaster rescue, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance, marine research and the fight against maritime crime.” (YHC-JSM)
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