Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has insisted that Taiping Island is an island from all perspectives, and claims by the Philippine government in an international arbitration tribunal that it is a rock are groundless and without merit.

“Taiping Island can sustain human habitation, has an economic life of its own and fully meets the definition of an island as laid out in Article 121 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Ma said. “In addition to 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, the ROC is entitled to claim a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf.”

Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details