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Taiwan to not compromise on sovereignty in South China Sea: official

ROC Central News Agency

2016/07/04 19:51:32

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) said Monday that Taiwan has no way of knowing how an international court will rule in a dispute between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea, but it will stand up for its sovereignty.

"Basically, we will insist on national sovereignty and will not compromise on it," Lee said at a legislative hearing.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Dutch city of The Hague will give a ruling on July 12 on the dispute between the two countries.

The Philippines has brought the case to the international court to undermine China's claims that it has sovereignty over South China Sea waters.

Manila has argued that the land formations China claims in the South China Sea are nothing more than reefs and therefore not entitled to 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones, which buttress Beijing's insistence that it has sovereignty over those waters.

China has repeatedly rejected the tribunal's jurisdiction over the case since it was filed, and its Maritime Safety Administration has announced that it will hold military exercises around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea from July 5 to 11.

Though Taiwan is not a party to the case, its claims in the South China Sea are similar to China's, and Taiping Island (also known as Ibu Ata), which is controlled by Taiwan, was brought up in testimony during court hearings.

Should the court rule that Taiping Island is not an island under international law, it would also undercut some of Taiwan's claims.

Taiwan has no way of knowing what the ruling will say, but the government has prepared for various scenarios, and Taiwan will make clear its stance when the ruling is announced on July 12, Lee said.

Six countries -- Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- claim part or all of the South China Sea.

(By Tai Ya-cheng and Lilian Wu)
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