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Taiwan presses claim over atoll

The Pratas Islands in the South China Sea are claimed by Taiwan, China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. PHOTO: CNA

Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) yesterday announced a plan to appropriate NT$100 million to build a harbor to house a frigate on a disputed atoll some 445km southwest of Taiwan.

Yu made the announcement during a visit to the Taiwan-claimed Pratas Islands.

"I will ask that NT$100 million be appropriated in 2004 to finance the building of the harbor," he said. "My visit to the islands today is in defense of our country's sovereignty."

He said the move had become necessary in the light of 1998 legislation in which the islands' territorial waters had been extended by 22km around the atoll.

He said that this multiplied the area of the territorial waters by 2,000, giving it an area approximating to that of Nantou County.

The 1998 legislation is the ROC Territorial Waters and Neighboring Areas Law (中華民國領海及鄰接區法) and the ROC Special Economic Maritime Area and Continental Shelf Law (中華民國專屬經濟海域及大陸礁層法).

The port is to be built on the biggest island in the group, the island of Dongsha (東沙島). It extends 0.9km from east to west, and 2.7km from north to south. It is a coral atoll with a land area of 2.4km2, making it one of the biggest islands in the South China Sea.

The Pratas Islands are claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Only Taiwan, however, has personnel -- armed coast guards, who recently replaced a marine garrison -- stationed on the islands.

"I would like to appeal to the international community to respect Taiwan's interests and rights in the South China Sea, and we are willing to cooperate for the area's development and regional security," Yu said.

The move follows the signing of an agreement in Phnom Penh last Saturday between ASEAN and China over the Spratly Islands. Under the agreement, all parties are to refrain from activities that could escalate tension in the South China Seas.

Taiwan, which also claims the islands, was excluded from the meeting.

After the signing, however, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement reasserting its sovereignty over the islands.

The Spratly Islands are thought to house huge reserves of oil and natural gas and are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan and ASEAN member Vietnam. Portions of the islands are also claimed by ASEAN members Malaysia and the Philippines.

Aside from asserting sovereignty over the islands, Yu said that the Kaohsiung City Government is, at the request of the central government, evaluating the possibility of promoting the island for tourism purposes.
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