Letter to the Editor
The South China Sea has been in contention for several decades but has heightened tensions in recent years. It is not a straightforward issue to understand with varying and changing perspectives of history, geography, and international law. While some nations recognize a “One China” policy as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), others recognize the Republic of China (ROC). In the latter, Taiwan is acknowledged as an independent territory by sovereign nations and members of the United Nations (UN). Some of our Caribbean countries have diplomatic relationships with PRC, e.g. Antigua and Barbuda, and others, such as St. Kitts-Nevis, with ROC (Taiwan). Irrespective of this dichotomy among Caribbean nations, the PRC and ROC recognize each other. Therefore, this matter ought to be of interest to all Caribbean sovereign nations.
With each successive theory of sovereignty comes tensions that are compounded when diplomatic relations separately under PRC and ROC relating to marine and adjoining terrestrial resources, as well as maritime rights. The ongoing Philippine arbitration has brought the controversy over the South China Sea into sharp focus, with wider international concern.
The ROC Cabinet and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have released statements declaring that the Nansha (Spratly Islands, Shisha (Paracel) Islands, Chungsha Islands (Macclesfield Bank), and Tungsha (Pratas) Islands, as well as their surrounding waters are an inherent part of ROC territory and waters, and that the ROC enjoys all rights over these islands and their surrounding waters in accordance with international law.
The ROC respects all relevant international laws and regulations, including the UN Charter and UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and expresses willingness to work with other parties to the dispute on the basis of equality and reciprocity, with the primary purpose of ensuring peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Among the points of contention is the Taiping Island that is the largest of the naturally formed Nansha Islands, with an abundance of natural resources and groundwater wells. The island has been inhabited for several years, and whereas the Philippines proposes that it does not qualify as an “island” but as a “rock,” the ROC stands firm in defending it as an island, under Article 121 of the UNCLOS, where human habitation and economic life is sustained. It is here noted that the maritime rights to an “island” is different than those of a “rock,” and although it is a matter of definition, it has implications for sovereignty and governance.
The ROC has been promoting and implementing significant sustainable development initiatives, e.g. low-carbon energy generation, ecological reserve to preserve its rich biodiversity and fisheries resources, and lighthouse to facilitate international mariners particularly in view of shoals and submerged rocks in the vicinity. It is also a monitoring station, in collaboration with the ROC Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Robotic Network (AERONET) of the UN National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for greenhouse gases (GHGs).
The developmental initiatives of the ROC on the Taiping Island is an example of peaceful habitation of an “island” within the sovereignty of the ROC and ought not to be defined as a “rock” for the motive of unfettered activities by various international parties. The “Sea of Peace and Cooperation” is promoted by the ROC where resources can be jointly developed for the betterment of people in communities with environmental integrity. The support of governments and the citizenry of Caribbean Island Nations will be greatly appreciated in this regard.
Note: Dr. Leighton Naraine is a specialist in Public Policy & Governance, Environmental Policy, and Urban & Planning
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