Taiwan Today

The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s award on the Philippines-initiated South China Sea Arbitration, including apparently incorrect statements regarding Taiping Island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, has severely jeopardized the legal status and relevant maritime rights of the South China Sea islands, over which the Republic of China (Taiwan) exercises sovereignty, and is unacceptable to the ROC government, Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong said July 12.

The Office of the President, as well as other ROC government agencies including the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has strongly rejected the outcome of the arbitration.

“The arbitral tribunal did not formally invite the ROC to participate in its proceedings, nor did it solicit the ROC’s views,” Yeh said during a news conference at MOI headquarters in Taipei City. “Therefore, we assert that the decision has no legally binding force on the ROC.”

The minister said that Taiping Island meets the criteria of an island as defined under Article 121 of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, as it can sustain human habitation and an economic life of its own. “It’s absolutely not a mere rock,” Yeh said. “The ROC is entitled to full maritime rights to Taiping Island in accordance with UNCLOS.”

Yeh drew attention to the Location Map of the South China Sea Islands published by the MOI in 1947 specifying the Tungsha (Pratas) Islands, Shisha (Paracel) Islands, Chungsha (Macclesfield Bank) Islands and Nansha Islands and their surrounding waters as part of ROC territory and waters.

Meanwhile, in response to the award, the Ministry of National Defense announced that, regardless of the outcome of the arbitration, the ROC government stands resolute on its South China Sea policy and the ROC military will steadfastly safeguard national territory and sovereignty, according to an MND statement released July 12.

The MND is strengthening cooperation with the Cabinet-level Coast Guard Administration on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the South China Sea. In addition to a Kangding-class frigate embarking on a patrol mission July 13, one day before its scheduled departure, to the South China Sea, “airplanes and ships will continue their patrol, supply and convoy missions to help the CGA continue to safeguard national security,” according to the MND statement.

The ROC government calls for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea through multilateral negotiations on the basis of equality so as to jointly advance peace and stability in the South China Sea.

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