• Created：2011-05-26
• Data Source：Bureau Of Consular Affairs
• Counter：2291

No. 167 
May 25, 2011

On May 19 this year, the government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam claimed the Shisha Islands (Paracel Islands) and the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands), which belong to the Republic of China (Taiwan), to be an integral part of Vietnamese territory. Then, on May 23, the presidential spokesperson of the Republic of the Philippines stated that Reed Bank, which is part of the Nansha Islands, is in Western Palawan and therefore an integral part of the territory of the Philippines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) reiterates its position as follows: 

1.Reed Bank is part of the Nansha Islands. Whether looked at from the perspective of history, geography or international law, the Nansha Islands, the Shisha Islands, the Chungsha Islands (Macclesfield Islands) and the Tungsha Islands (Pratas Islands), as well as their surrounding waters, sea beds and subsoil, are all an inherent part of the territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan). These archipelagoes therefore fall under the sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the government reasserts that it enjoys all rights over the islands and their surrounding waters, and that it does not accept any claim to sovereignty over, or occupation of, these areas by other countries. 

2.The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) calls on countries bordering the South China Sea to respect the principles and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to refrain from adopting unilateral measures that might threaten the peace and stability of the region.

3.The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) reiterates that it upholds the basic principles of “safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, peace and reciprocity, and joint exploration” and remains willing to work with other countries on exploring resources in the South China Sea.

4.The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) also urges the countries concerned to exercise self-restraint so that peaceful resolutions to the disputes can be reached through consultation and dialogue. Taiwan remains willing to participate in such dialogue that seeks to find resolutions to disputes and promote regional peace, stability and development. (E)