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.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS