Taiwan wants in on Philippines-China sea talks

MANILA, Philippines - Taiwan wants to be included in multilateral talks on the South China Sea, saying it has turned out to be a “victim” of the ruling by a UN-backed arbitral tribunal dismissing China’s “nine-dash-line” historical claim as “illegal.”

Gary Song-Huann Lin, representative of Taiwan in the Philippines, said the July 12 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has seriously impinged on the legitimate rights and national interests of Taiwan over the South China Sea islands and adjacent waters.

“By pointing out the drawbacks of the tribunal ruling, I have no intention to challenge the stance of the Philippines. What I want to indicate is that the decision has further complicated the South China Sea situation,” Lin said in an article he wrote titled “The End of a Stable Pacific Era and Taiwan, ROC Should be Included in the Multilateral Dialogues for the Peaceful Settlement of the South China Sea Disputes.”

“Contrary to the common belief, the ruling has caused more difficulties and implications for the resolution of the South China Sea disputes,” he said.

The tribunal ruling, he said, has added some dynamite and fuel to a potential powder keg.

He said the PCA award has ushered in the end of a stable Pacific era as it stirred Chinese nationalism and their pent-up fury over the loss of what they considered their historical rights over the South China Sea.

He said Taiwan cannot accept the PCA ruling that Itu Aba, which it calls Taiping Island, is a “rock” and not an island.

 “To the government and people of Taiwan/ROC, the tribunal’s decision is unacceptable, unfair and double standards,” Lin said.

He also described as incorrect and humiliating Taiwan’s being referred to in the ruling as “Taiwan Authority of China,” noting that Taiwan is a sovereign state.

Taiping Island was not originally included in the scope of the arbitration.

Lin said the tribunal neither consulted nor invited Taiwan to participate in arbitration process.

“Taiwan voices and views were not present during the arbitration process. The award is therefore unfair and unacceptable to the ROC (Taiwan),” he added.

The criteria used by the arbitral tribunal to define an island, according to Lin, are too narrowly defined and legalistically contentious and, as a result, the “criteria have lost its fairness and in contrast to the international community’s commonly accepted norm and common perception.”

“In fact, the tribunal has created a brand new definition, or criteria, of a ‘Rock.’ By this new definition and criteria many Pacific Island countries and many islands owned by various countries are ‘Rocks’ because they don’t have sufficient freshwater and need to import food supply,” he said.

He warned that if the regional and world leaders do not handle the issue wisely, a US-China conflict in the South China Sea can erupt.

Strategically, Lin said Taiwan is an important strategic buffer for the national security of the Philippines and the US.

“As the ROC (Taiwan) controls the access between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia as well as the first islands chain, the ROC (Taiwan) and the Philippines should sit down and discuss the disputes of the South China Sea,” Lin said. “The disputes should be resolved peacefully through multilateral negotiations.”