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U.S. acknowledges President Ma's road map for peace initiative

ROC Central News Agency

2016/01/29 12:53:17

Washington, Jan. 28 (CNA) The United States said Thursday that it appreciates the road map President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has devised for his South China Sea peace initiative, which urges all parties concerned to be included in a mechanism for talks regarding South China Sea affairs and to cooperate on a variety of issues.

'We appreciate Taiwan's call on all claimants to exercise restraint, refrain from taking any unilateral action that might escalate tensions, and respect international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention,' said Anna Richey-Allen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

In an emailed response to reporters' questions about Ma's proposal, Richey-Allen said Washington's position on the South China Sea is principled and long-standing.

'While the United States does not take a position on the competing sovereignty claims over land features in the South China Sea, we do take a position that maritime claims must accord with the law of the sea,' she said. 'We have a strong interest in peace and security, and in the manner in which claimants address their disputes.'

She said the U.S. does not take a position on the sovereignty of islands claimed by Taiwan in the South China Sea.

Her remarks came after President Ma paid a visit to the Taiwan-administered Taiping Island in the South China Sea and proposed a road map for his South China Sea peace initiative, in a speech there.

The road map calls on all parties concerned to be included in a mechanism for talks regarding South China Sea affairs, and to cooperate on a variety of issues, such as the conservation and management of biological resources, marine scientific research and crime prevention at sea, the Presidential Office said in a statement Thursday.

Ma said the road map is based on a framework of three yeses and three noes: 'yes' to cooperation, sharing and pragmatism and 'no' to confrontation, monopolizing and intransigence.

In the short term, all parties concerned should shelve their disputes, pledge to replace military confrontation with peaceful consultations, refrain from taking actions that might affect stability and peace in the South China Sea, and ensure the freedom and safety of navigation and flights through the region, Ma said.

In the mid-term, all parties concerned should cooperate on a variety of issues, such as the conservation and management of living resources, the exploration of non-living resources, marine environmental protection and scientific research, crime prevention at sea, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.

In the long term, Ma proposed a mechanism for 'zonal development,' meaning that the parties concerned could designate specific maritime areas for bilateral or multilateral development.

The road map proposal follows Ma's announcement of a South China Sea peace initiative in May last year.

Several countries, including Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, claim all or parts of the South China Sea.

(By Rita Cheng and Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/pc