Taiwan has reiterated its sovereignty claim over islands in the South China Sea following the Philippines’ submission of an official nautical chart of Scarborough Shoal to the United Nations, renewing attention on competing territorial claims in the strategically significant maritime region.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ministry also called for Taiwan to be included in multilateral mechanisms dealing with South China Sea disputes.
The statement followed the Philippines’ decision to deposit an official nautical chart of Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations under Article 16 of UNCLOS. Manila said the submission was intended to publicise the baselines from which the breadth of its territorial sea is measured, as required under the convention.
Scarborough Shoal is claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan and China. It is known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines, Democracy Reef in Taiwan and Huangyan Dao in China.
China strongly objected to the Philippine move on July 31, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs describing the delineation of what it called the territorial sea baselines of Huangyan Dao as “illegal, null and void.” Beijing maintained that the shoal is an inherent part of Chinese territory and asserted that it has exercised continuous, peaceful and effective sovereignty and jurisdiction over the area.
The Chinese government further argued that the Philippines’ territorial claim lacks legal basis under international law and accused Manila of violating international agreements, including UNCLOS, bilateral understandings between the two countries and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
The latest exchange highlights the continuing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where overlapping claims by multiple parties remain a source of regional tension.
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