Taiwan has rejected renewed sovereignty claims over the South China Sea by the Philippines and China by reaffirming the country’s sovereignty and rights under international law over the disputed area.
“The Republic of China (Taiwan) enjoys all rights to island groups and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea in accordance with international law and maritime laws,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement Tuesday.
Other countries’ attempts to claim sovereignty over the South China do not change the fact that the ROC holds sovereignty over the region, MOFA said.
The MOFA statement came after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two laws on Friday to define his country’s maritime entitlements and set designated sea lanes and air routes to reinforce sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea.
China quickly responding by publishing baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it seized from the Philippines on Sunday and reiterating the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) claim over nearly all of the South China Sea.
Beijing currently claims areas also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
“China will continue to take all necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely defend China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Both China and the Philippines claim Scarborough Shoal and other outcroppings in the South China Sea.
China seized the shoal, which lies west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, in 2012 and has since restricted access to Filipino fishermen there.
A 2016 ruling by an international arbitration court found that most Chinese claims in the South China Sea were invalid, but Beijing has refused to abide by it.
Ships from China and the Philippines have collided several times as part of escalating confrontations between the two governments in recent months, including the Chinese Coast Guard blasting Philippine vessels with water cannons.
MOFA’s statement on Tuesday described the recent actions taken by both China and the Philippines as “escalating regional tensions and potentially jeopardizing regional peace and stability.”
It reiterated Taiwan’s desire to resolve territorial disputes through multilateral dialogue and dispute settlement mechanisms, and said Taiwan should be included in such mechanisms on an equal footing.
Taiwan currently controls two islands in the South China Sea.
One of them is Taiping Island. Also known as Itu Aba, it is the largest among the Spratly Islands and lies 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung, and is administered as part of Kaohsiung’s Cijin District (旗津).
The other is Dongsha Island, also known as Pratas Island, which lies 450 km southwest of Kaohsiung.
