The government on Friday reiterated its claim over the disputed Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) in the South China Sea while expressing concern over escalating tensions between Vietnam and China over a large Chinese oil rig in the area.
Tensions in the broad swath of sea have so escalated that as many as dozens of Chinese and Vietnamese ships are in a standoff, sparking worries that a larger conflict could be brewing.
As the two claimants continued to rebuke each other over the incidents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected their claims of sovereignty over or occupation of the islands, which it said rightfully belong to the Republic of China (ROC) government.
The ministry reiterated its position that “from the perspective of history, geography and international law,” the ROC’s inherent territory extends to the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), Paracels, Macclesfield Bank (Zhongsha Islands, 中沙群島) and Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) as well as their surrounding waters and respective seabed and subsoil.
“There is no doubt that the Republic of China has sovereignty over the archipelagos and waters,” the statement said.
It went on to restate the basic principles proposed as part of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) East China Sea peace initiative: safeguarding sovereignty while working to shelve disputes, promoting peace and reciprocity among claimants, and jointly exploring the region’s resources.
As for the ongoing clashes, the ministry urged self-restraint and a peaceful resolution to be reached through consultation and dialogue.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
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