President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday invited the Philippines to send representatives or lawyers to visit Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) in the disputed South China Sea to correct its misconceptions about the island.
Ma issued the invitation on Facebook, one day after a group of foreign reporters were taken on a tour of Itu Aba Island, which forms part of the Spratly archipelago (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島).
At press time last night, the Philippine government had not responded to the invitation, while Vietnam, which, along with China, Malaysia and Brunei, has claims to the Spratlys, accused Taiwan of raising tensions in the region.
Photo: AP
Ma said the media tour was arranged in hopes that the international media could be Taiwan’s witnesses and tell the world that Itu Aba is an “island,” not a “rock.”
Last year, the Philippines submitted a case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in which it challenged the legal status of Itu Aba, Ma wrote.
The Philippines has argued that Itu Aba is a “rock” that cannot provide for itself, with all supplies having to be shipped in from elsewhere, Ma said.
The Philippines also claims that the soil on Itu Aba is formed from the weathering of coral reefs and cannot be used for cultivation, and that the island should therefore be entitled to no more than 12 nautical miles (22.2km) of territorial waters, he said.
“These unfactual remarks repeatedly made by the Philippines show that it lacks an understanding of Itu Aba Island,” Ma said.
He said that Taiwanese international law experts have presented a brief, along with photographs of Itu Aba, to the court in The Hague to rebut Manila’s arguments.
The arbitrators are also welcome to visit Itu Aba to see for themselves that it is a bona fide island with fresh water that can grow crops, raise livestock and support human habitation, he said.
Therefore, Itu Aba should be entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, according to Article 121 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Ma said.
Itu Aba fully meets the requirements of an island, which is defined in the article as “a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide” that can sustain human habitation or economic life of its own.
Besides fresh water, Itu Aba has 108 kinds of native plants and more than 20 types of planted vegetables and fruit, Ma said.
In addition to coast guard and military personnel and a civilian medical staff, there are chickens, goats, dogs, a hospital and a post office on the island, he added.
The 510m2 island lies 1,600km southwest of Kaohsiung.
Vietnam yesterday hit back at Taiwan for taking international media on a tour of Itu Aba, saying the “illegal and worthless” trip had further raised tensions in the hotly contested waters.
“Taiwan, despite concerns and objections from Vietnam and the international community, sent journalists to Taiping Island,” Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Le Hai Binh said in a statement.
“This is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, escalates tensions and is not conducive to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he said.
Additional reporting by AFP
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