The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday condemned China’s attempt at hegemonic expansionism, adding that Taiwan strongly opposes any action that jeopardizes the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
The ministry was referring to China on Monday blocking Philippine vessels from delivering food to a coast guard ship at Sabina Shoal (Xianbin, 仙濱暗沙).
Taiwan harshly condemns any attempt to interfere with the freedom of navigation by force and coercion and urges all parties involved in the dispute to exercise restraint, follow the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, and resolve differences by peaceful means, it said in a statement last night.
Photo: AFP
Taiwan will closely observe the developing situation with like-minded nations with shared values to ensure regional peace and stability is maintained, it said.
The Taiwanese government remains committed to the four principles” and five actions pertaining to the issues in the South China Sea, it said.
The four principles refer to support for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the conventions, Taiwan’s inclusion in the dispute resolution mechanisms, upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight, and pursuit joint development with other states as equals.
Photo: Reuters
The five actions refer to the protection of the nation’s fishing rights, scientific collaboration, humanitarian assistance and rescue, and encourage the development of expertise in international law.
Separately yesterday, the Philippine defense chief said that China is “the biggest disruptor” of peace in Southeast Asia and called for stronger international censure over its aggression in the South China Sea.
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr spoke at an international military conference organized in Manila by the US Indo-Pacific Command amid a spike in clashes between China and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea and in its airspace.
China is “the biggest disruptor of international peace” in Southeast Asia, Teodoro told the conference, which was attended by military officials and senior diplomats from the US and allied nations.
He later told reporters on the sidelines of the conference that international statements of concern against China’s increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters and elsewhere were “not enough.”
“The antidote is a stronger collective multilateral action against China,” Teodoro said, adding that diplomats and defense officials should determine those stronger steps.
Pressed by reporters to be more specific, Teodoro said a UN Security Council resolution condemning and ordering a stop to Chinese acts of aggression would be a strong step, but acknowledged the difficulty of pursuing that.
“The world is not that perfect,” Teodoro said.
China, like its geopolitical rival the US, is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and has power to veto such an adversarial step.
ASEAN has paid “attention” to China’s aggressive actions, but should do much more, Teodoro said. “ASEAN, to remain relevant and credible, cannot continue to ignore what China is doing in the South China Sea,” Teodoro said.
Philippine officials said China deployed “an excessive force” of 40 ships that blocked two Philippine vessels from delivering food and other supplies to Manila’s largest coast guard ship in the disputed Sabina Shoal in the latest flareup of their territorial disputes in the busy sea passage.
China and the Philippines blamed each other for the confrontation on Monday in Sabina Shoal, an uninhabited atoll both nations claim that has become the latest flashpoint in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), the most hotly disputed region of the sea passage that is a key global trade and security route.
The Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese coast guard and navy ships, along with 31 suspected militia vessels, illegally obstructed the delivery, which included an ice cream treat for personnel aboard the BRP Teresa Magbanua as the Philippines marked National Heroes’ Day on Monday.
The Philippine Coast Guard said it “remains steadfast in our commitment to uphold national interests and ensure the safety and security of our waters,” and urged “the China Coast Guard to abide with the international law and stop deploying maritime forces that could undermine mutual respect, a universally recognized foundation for responsible and friendly relations among coast guards.”
In Beijing, the China Coast Guard said that it took control measures against two Philippine Coast Guard ships that “intruded” into waters near Sabina Shoal. It said in a statement that the Philippine ships escalated the situation by repeatedly approaching a China Coast Guard ship.
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