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By Katrice R. Jalbuena, Reporter
Taiwan asserted its claims to the
largest of the disputed Spratly islands, while it called for better
relations with two rival claimants—the People’s Republic of
China and the Philippines.
“Taiwan is sovereign on the
island of Taiping,” Donald Lee, the newly appointed representative
of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) to Manila, said
Friday.
“The island hosts around 200 of
our coast guard personnel as well as a new airstrip, which we
maintain for humanitarian reasons,” said Lee, a 26-year veteran of
Taipei’s foreign ministry.
Taiping, also known as Itu Aba
Island, is the largest of the islands of the Spratly chain located
around 1,000 kilometers south of Taiwan and about 35 kilometers
south-southwest of Philippine-occupied Loiata (Kota) Island.
Amid the shrubs, coconut trees
and mangroves, some 600 Taiwanese soldiers live on the disputed
island, which is fitted with a lighthouse, radio and weather
stations, concrete landing jetty, two water wells and a 1,150-meter
long airstrip. Pineapple was once cultivated on the island.
Taiping has been occupied by
Taiwan since September 1956, four months after Filipino explorer
Tomas Cloma claimed seven of the islands.
The Spratlys refer to a group of
100 reefs, islets and islands spread in over 400,000 square
kilometers in the South China Sea. The islands are claimed in part
or in whole by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and
Brunei.
Forging friendships
The airstrip on Taiping was once
the subject of controversy, with both Vietnam and the Philippines
protesting its construction. The airstrip was completed in January
and was visited in February by then President Chen Shui-Bian.
Lee said Taiwan’s newly elected
President Ma Ying-Jeou has no intention to negotiate or give up
Taiwan’s claim to Taiping. Ma belongs to the Kuomintang, while
Chen to the rival, pro-Taiwan independence Democratic Progressive
Party.
Ma’s government wants to
improve relations with its neighbors, including the People’s
Republic of China, Lee said.
“As far as our current position
with regard to the People’s Republic of China [or PRC, which is
mainland China’s official name], for now we remain intent on
maintaining the status quo. We are not pushing for independence. We
are not pushing for reunification,” Taipei’s representative to
Manila said.
Mainland China considers Taiwan a
renegade province, and the Philippines has an one-China policy that
officially recognizes the government in Beijing.
“What we would like is to
establish a mutual trust between us and the PRC, to co-exist in a
friendly atmosphere,” Lee said. “There have already been several
talks between the two governments on various issues and agreements
on levels of cooperation. We would like to build on that.”
“With the recent success of the
friendly overtures between the governments of the PRC and ROC
[Republic of China, or Taiwan], we hope that this will also
encourage more friendly relationships between other countries in
Asia and around the globe,” Lee added.
“If there were countries that
were reluctant to do business with Taiwan because of possibly
angering China, we hope that they will now take a cue from [our] now
warming relations and be open to better bilateral relations with
Taiwan as well,” he said.
To that extent, Lee expressed a
wish to dialogue with Beijing’s ambassador to Manila in the spirit
of the “friendly atmosphere.”
Bilateral relations
“This is my first time in the
Philippines,” said Lee. “I know that Taiwan and the Philippines
have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship, and we want to
maintain and improve this relationship.
Last year, Taiwan was the
fourth-largest trading partner of the Philippines, and it was
Taiwan’s ninth-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade between
the two countries amounted to $5.9 billion, while Taiwanese
businesses invested $444 million in the Philippines.
Taiwanese businessmen are
particularly attracted to Subic Bay Freeport. Lee said 79 Taiwanese
factories and companies operate there, bringing in some $870 million
in investments.
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