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Patrols to continue in South China Sea: Taiwan's military

ROC Central News Agency

2016/07/13 11:05:23

Taipei, July 13 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday it will continue to send planes and ships to the South China Sea to carry out patrol missions and defend Taiwan's territory and sovereignty.

In a written report submitted to the Legislative Yuan, the MND said it will cooperate with the Cabinet-level Coast Guard Administration to step up intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities in the South China Sea and continue patrols there.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), meanwhile, said in a written report that it remains to be seen if tensions in the South China Sea will escalate after a ruling on a case involving the region by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on Tuesday.

Taiwan and China have each expressed their stance on the issue, the council said, and it did not believe that the ruling would affect current relations across the Taiwan Strait.

Cross-strait relations are crucial to regional peace and security, and Taiwan's government will make efforts to maintain the peaceful and stable development of that relationship and will closely watch China's response, the MAC said.

The MND and MAC were asked by the Legislative Yuan to report on how the ruling by the Hague-based court will affect Taiwan and its neighboring countries.

In its ruling, the court invalidated China's "nine-dash line" that underpins Beijing's claims in the South China Sea -- dealing a blow to Taiwan's similar claim to territory within an "11-dash line."

It also said all high-tide features in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, including Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island, are "rocks" and not islands, and therefore are not entitled to 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones.

Taiwan has rejected the ruling and said it is not legally binding on the Republic of China (Taiwan).

It also reiterated its sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters.

(By Tang Pei-chun and Christie Chen)
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