by
Kuoyu Tung*
Taiping Island (also known as Itu Aba), with an area of 0,51 square kilometers, is the largest naturally-formed island in the Spratly (Nansha) Islands and can sustain human habitation and economic life of its own. It fully meets the definition of an island, stipulated in Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Furthermore, from the perspectives of history, geography and international law, it forms an inherent part of my country and we enjoy the full rights associated with sovereignty, including territorial waters, a contiguous zone, an exclusive economic zone, and a continental shelf .
Experts in water, soil and vegetation have observed that water on Taiping Island is potable and the wells on the Island can provide high-quality fresh water, soil is naturally formed and supports indigenous vegetation as well as agricultural crops, and more than that, 106 land-based plant species have grown.
The geological surveys and a report titled ‘Is there drinkable water and topsoil on Itu Aba?’ written by Dr. Yann-huei SONG, a well-known professor of international law of the sea, and released by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, a US-based information source, analysis and policy exchange platform, have provided evidence that Taiping Island can sustain human habitation and economic life of its own (http://amti.csis.org/is-there-drinkable-water-and-topsoil-on-itu-aba/). So, it is definitely an ‘Island’ rather than a ‘rock’.
In order to provide emergency services to seafarers, my government build a hospital in Taiping Island several years ago, which now has two medical doctors, a dentist and two nurses. Other infrastructure projects, including the renovation of the wharf and construction of a lighthouse has facilitated the emergency rescue and humanitarian work carried out by the coast guard personnel stationed there. This is in the interests of all parties concerned and contributes to regional peace and stability.
In May 2015 President Ma proposed the South China Sea Peace Initiative. The principles of this peace initiative are safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, pursuing peace and reciprocity, and promoting joint development. It is our belief that through implementing this initiative, the tension in the South China Sea can be reduced and the development of the area achieved.
We are willing to work with other parties concerned through consultations conducted on an equal footing, to jointly ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea, as well as to conserve and develop resources in the region, with the aim of transforming, in the long run, the South China Sea into a sea of peace and cooperation.
*Kuoyu Tung is Taipei’s Representative for the European Union and Belgium
By: N. Peter Kramer
