Taiwan wants peaceful end to islands dispute

“We hope that the issue could eventually be resolved rationally and peacefully through a multilateral mechanism,” said James C.K. Tien, director-general of the MOFA's Department of Asian and Pacific Affairs, at a regular press briefing.

Claims by Taiwan, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei to all or part of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea area resurfaced last week when the Philippine government made an official complaint to the United Nations (U.N.) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf about China's claim to the whole area.

Meanwhile, it was reported in the media in China and Vietnam that the two countries had agreed to “work closely to develop basic measures” on issues related to the South China Sea.

Asked by reporters to comment on the recent bilateral discussions between some of the claimant countries, Tien said Taiwan will also try to engage in bilateral talks with some of them.

Taipei summoned Philippine representative Antonio Basilio Monday to reiterate Taiwan's sovereignty claim over the entire South China Sea and urged the other countries to include Taiwan in their dialogue in order to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner.

“We are opposed to any move that would raise tensions in the region,” Tien said.

Taiwan had addressed its claim to the Philippines, but not Vietnam, Malaysia or the other claimants, because it was the Philippines that had brought the matter to the fore again with its protest to the U.N., he said.

Tien said that he was not worried about Taiwan, as a non-U.N. member, being excluded from any possible multilateral discussions on the South China Sea issue, if the U.N. eventually intervened.

“The international body should respect Taiwan's claim,” he said.

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