The DPP espouses a multilateral approach to resolving territorial disputes in the South China Sea. One wonders, however, if Taiwan, excluded as it is from ASEAN, would be able to participate in any talks The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday called for a multilateral approach to the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.
The DPP’s reiteration of its position that issues related to the South China Sea must be addressed through a multilateral framework came following a draft agreement on the guidelines for the implementation of the Declaration of Conduct between China and ASEAN earlier this month.
“Despite several calls from China for ‘cooperation between the two sides of the strait’ on the South China Sea issue, the DPP urges President Ma Ying-jeou’s [馬英九] administration to take part in multilateral talks with all parties involved in order to serve Taiwan’s best interest and to preserve regional stability,” the statement said in English.
The statement said that when Ma served as Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister in the 1990s, he said that the two sides of the strait must set aside sovereignty differences and work together on the South China Sea issue while “dealing with outside parties in a unified way.”
My article, published today in the Taipei Times, continues here, with an update on the Haijian 50 (海监50), the latest China Marine Surveillance vessel to be commissioned.
Im glad that the DPP issued this statement. Also interesting background at RMC and now in Taipei!
ReplyDelete@Anon: Many thanks for the comments. Yes, it was grand time the DPP said something publicly on the matter, and the fact that they did so in English is very telling. There are, as we speak, academics from reputable NGOs visiting Taiwan — including DPP headquarters — to gain a better perspective on what Taiwan intends to do in the South China Sea and Spratlys, among other islets.
ReplyDeleteDo I find myself in the presence of another RMCer?