11-6-2023 (HANOI) Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has firmly rejected Vietnam’s assertion that Taiwan’s planned live-fire drills in the Spratly Islands constitute a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty.
On Thursday (June 8), Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement calling on Taiwan to cancel the scheduled drills. According to VN Express, a spokesperson stated, “The fact that Taiwan performs live-fire drills in sea regions around Itu Aba (known as Taiping Island in Taiwan), part of Vietnam’s Spratly Islands, is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty. It threatens peace, stability, maritime safety and security, and escalates tensions while complicating the situation in the South China Sea.”
Responding to a query from Taiwan News on Sunday (June 11), Taiwan’s MOFA issued a statement asserting that the Taiping Islands are unquestionably sovereign territory of Taiwan.
“The Government of the Republic of China reaffirms that it enjoys all rights under international law and the law of the sea regarding the islands of the South China Sea and their associated waters,” stated MOFA, reiterating past statements on the matter. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also informed Taiwan News on Saturday (June 10) that the planned exercises fall under the jurisdiction of Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration.
Like several islands in the Spratly group, the sovereignty of Taiping Island is disputed, with Taiwan, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam all making claims.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry noted that in 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen outlined a framework for addressing regional territorial disputes, which includes collaborating with the international community to resolve conflicts based on international law. However, in 2016, Taiwan rejected a ruling by an international tribunal (initiated by the Philippines against China) that classified Taiping Island as a rock, thereby denying its entitlement to an exclusive economic zone typically granted to islands.
Taiping Island is primarily occupied by an airstrip controlled by Taiwan’s military. In 2016, Taiwan upgraded the island’s wharf facilities, reportedly to accommodate warships, and unverified rumors emerged in 2022 suggesting plans to enhance the airstrip to accommodate fighter jets.
Taiping Island falls under the jurisdiction of Kaohsiung and is situated approximately 1,500 kilometers from the southern Taiwanese city. It is about 400 kilometers from the Philippines and 600 kilometers from Vietnam.
