Taipei, Aug. 29 (CNA) Taiwan’s government on Tuesday reaffirmed the nation’s right to conduct military exercises in and around a Taipei-controlled island in the disputed South China Sea after the Vietnamese government issued a protest over a drill held earlier this month.
In a press statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) rejected Vietnam’s accusation that live-fire drills conducted by Taiwan in waters around Taiping Island on Aug. 23 were a “serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands.”
“Vietnam resolutely opposes this act and asks Taiwan not to repeat similar violations,” Vietnamese foreign ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said during a Monday press event.
In response, MOFA said in its statement that Vietnam’s accusation is “totally unacceptable.”
The government of the Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan, retains all rights over the South China Sea island and surrounding waters, in accordance with international law and the law of the sea, MOFA noted.
“Taiping Island is indisputably the territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has the authority to exercise all the rights of a sovereign state over Taiping Island and its relevant waters,” the statement said.
Citing President Tsai Ing-wen’s (???) 2016 principles concerning the South China Sea disputes, MOFA said Tsai called for peaceful resolution of the issues to facilitate peace and stability in the region while upholding equality and shared prosperity.
Taiping, also known as Itu Aba or Ba Binh in Vietnamese, the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands), lies 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and is administered as part of the special municipality’s Cijin District.
The island is also claimed by Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
Taiwan has control over the island, which is occupied by Taiwanese coast guard personnel trained by the Marine Corps and drills are held regularly.
