Situated 1,600 kilometers south of Kaohsiung City, Taiping is the largest naturally formed island of the Nansha (Spratly) Islands. Ma is expected to greet the personnel stationed on Taiping while inspecting the island’s infrastructure development.
MOFA Minister David Y. L. Lin said the visit is a timely gesture highlighting the importance of regional peace and stability, and it is appropriate for the president to offer local residents glad tidings ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
“The Taiping outing is in keeping with the spirit of President Ma’s South China Sea Peace Initiative, which upholds the longstanding principles of safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, pursuing peace and reciprocity and promoting joint exploration and development.”
Proposed in May 2015, the initiative sets an example for resolving regional disputes by peaceful means. Its significance is especially salient given recent territorial claims by neighboring countries and territories in the region.
According to the MOFA, whether from the perspective of history, geography and international law, the Nansha, Shisha (Paracel), Chungsha (Macclesfield Bank) and Tungsha (Pratas) island groups, as well as their surrounding waters in the South China Sea, are all inherent parts of the nation’s territory.
The ROC has maintained a permanent presence on Taiping and developed the island via government projects over the past decades, qualifying it without question as an island under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Undertakings in this regard include installation of solar energy panels and establishment of Nansha Hospital and a telemedical service system to provide medical care for locally based personnel and in emergencies, foreign fishermen operating in the region.
In addition, a lighthouse and wharf were inaugurated last December as part of the government’s plan to transform Taiping into a peaceful, eco-friendly and low-carbon island. These efforts have contributed to the safe seaborne transport of goods and provision of humanitarian aid while advancing the causes of environmental protection and scientific research.
“We have every reason to believe Ma’s visit will further this pragmatic approach based on his peace initiative, and foster understanding among all relevant parties to promote peace through collaboration.” (YHC-JSM)
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