The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated today that Taiping Island, without question, is a territory of Taiwan. This was in response to the statement made on June 8 by Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang. She said that Taiwan’s live-fire drill in the waters surrounding Taiping Island on June 7 was a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands. She added that it not only threatened maritime peace and stability in the region but also complicated the situation in the South China Sea.
In response, Taiwan’s foreign ministry refuted Vietnam’s statement as ‘completely unacceptable’. Spokesperson Liu Yong-jian (劉永健) reiterated that Taiwan retains all rights to the South China Sea Islands and its relevant waters under international law and the law of the sea. Taiping Island, without question, is under the territory of Taiwan.
In 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) proposed four principles and five actions as a peaceful resolution to the South China Sea issue. They detail that Taiwan should be included in a multilateral dispute settlement mechanism. Relevant countries are also obligated to safeguard the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. She stressed that joint development be adopted to safeguard peace and stability in the region.
Taiping Island is located in the central Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.