Taiwan's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday reaffirming the country’s sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and its surrounding waters. The move came amidst competing territorial claims by the Philippines and China.
On November 8, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. signed the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (PMZA) and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (PASL Act). The PMZA delineates Philippine maritime zones while the PASL Act designates specific routes for the passage of foreign vessels through Philippine waters.
China’s Foreign Ministry refuted and condemned the Philippines’ declaration on the same day and published geographic coordinates for the baselines around Scarborough Shoal two days later, asserting their own sovereignty claims despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating Beijing’s claims.
In response to the recent actions of the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, the Taiwanese government said that the claims by the Philippines and China do not affect Taiwan’s sovereignty over the South China Sea islands. It also affirmed that the Republic of China (Taiwan) holds all rights to the South China Sea island groups and their surrounding waters under international and maritime laws.
The Foreign Ministry called for restraint saying that the Philippines and China are escalating regional tensions. It urged all parties to resolve disputes peacefully through multilateral dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms, adding that Taiwan should be included in these discussions as an equal stakeholder.