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President reiterates ROC's sovereignty over South China Sea

ROC Central News Agency

2016/07/19 22:57:03

Taipei, July 19 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) reiterated Tuesday the Republic of China's sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea and vowed to uphold the country's rights in the region based on international law.

Tsai made the statement in a national security meeting, the first she has convened since her inauguration on May 20.

In the meeting, the president again rejected a ruling laid down by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on July 12 concerning a dispute between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, according to Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺).

The court ruled that none of the Spratly Islands, including the Taiwan-held Taiping Island, could be considered "islands" under international law and are therefore not entitled to 200-nautical-mile economic zones, indirectly undermining Taiwan's claims in the region.

Tsai said the government insists the ruling is not legally binding on the ROC and the country will never accept it.

The government has never wavered on its position that islands in the South China Sea are part of the ROC's territory, she said, stressing that the ROC will not give up its sovereign rights over the region under international law.

She proposed that the South China Sea issue be handled based on the following principles.

First, the territorial disputes should be dealt with according to international law and maritime law, and second, Taiwan should be included in the multilateral dispute settlement mechanism, she said.

Third, claimants of the South China Sea have an obligation to maintain freedom of navigation and flight in the region, and fourth, the ROC advocates putting aside disputes to make way for joint development of resources in the region, she continued.

On the basis of these four principles, the government will step up its efforts to protect Taiwanese fishermen's rights to fish in the region and strengthen multilateral negotiations with the concerned countries, the president said.

The government will also establish scientific cooperation with other countries by inviting international experts to conduct geological, seismological and climatic research on Taiping Island, she said.

In addition, she said, the government will seek cooperation with international organizations to turn Taiping Island into a resupply base and a hub for maritime humanitarian rescue and will encourage research on maritime law to build up the country's ability to deal with related issues.

Also during the meeting, the president decided that in the future, national security meetings will be held on a regular basis, and there will also be discussions focusing on three respective subjects: defense, regional security and international economic and trade strategy.

Meanwhile, the president directed the Ministry of Education to present a talent development plan to ensure a successful implementation of the "New Southbound Policy."

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/ke