Taipei: Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has reaffirmed Taiwan's sovereignty claims in the South China Sea amid escalating tensions between China and the Philippines in the disputed waters. He acknowledged, however, that Taipei was not actively asserting those claims.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lin made these remarks during a legislative hearing on Taiwan's South China Sea policy, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of an arbitral tribunal ruling on claims in the sea. Lin emphasized that the Republic of China's (Taiwan) sovereignty claims over the islands in the South China Sea have remained consistent.
Taiwan adheres to four principles tied to these claims: resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, including Taiwan in multilateral dispute-resolution mechanisms, upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, and promoting regional resource sharing. When questioned by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers about the relatively low-profile approach of the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, Lin noted the sensitivity of the issue given the current geopolitical climate.
Lin was also asked why former President Tsai Ing-wen and incumbent President Lai Ching-te, both members of the DPP, have not visited Taiping Island (Itu Aba) in the Spratly Islands to assert Taiwan's claims. Former Presidents Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-jeou, from the DPP and KMT respectively, had visited the island during their terms.
"Taiping Island is, of course, an island rather than a rock," Lin stated, reinforcing Taiwan's legitimate claim to the South China Sea islands. He highlighted the potential disadvantage for Taiwan if it actively publicized its sovereignty claims, especially at a time when it needs international support amidst Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
Lin's assertion that Taiping Island is an island rather than a rock relates back to the arbitral tribunal's ruling on July 12, 2016. The ruling declared that China's "nine-dash line" claim lacked legal basis under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and found that China's actions within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone violated Manila's sovereign rights. The PRC refused to accept or recognize the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
The tribunal also determined that Taiwan-administered Taiping Island was legally a rock rather than an island under UNCLOS, disqualifying it from a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Taiwan rejected this ruling as well, arguing that it was a stakeholder in the 2016 arbitration but was neither consulted nor included in the proceedings.
Lin emphasized Taiwan's position that all disputes and competing claims in the region should be resolved peacefully. This stance includes the latest incident on Monday, where Manila accused a Chinese coast guard officer of attacking a Filipino sailor with a wooden baton, resulting in injury and damage to a Philippine Navy rubber boat.