Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Both China and Taiwan Have South China Sea Obligations, Says Beijing

 

Reuters, 08/07 13:55 CET

BEIJING (Reuters) – Both China and Taiwan have an obligation to assert claims to the South China Sea, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, in a sign of rare political agreement between the old foes on either side of the Taiwan Strait.

Rivals China and Taiwan share claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, a legacy of the Chinese civil war when the Communists beat the Nationalists and took control of the Chinese mainland in 1949.

The Nationalists settled on Taiwan and as the “Republic of China” still claim to be the legitimate rulers of greater China. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.

This week, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its claims to the South China Sea. Taiwan occupies the largest of the Spratly Islands, Itu Aba, as well as the Pratas Islands, which lie between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Asked about the Taiwan comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that after World War Two, the then Nationalist government of China had made “positive efforts” to protect the country’s claims in the South China Sea.

This was something the Communist government carried on, she added.

Full article available here: South China Sea Dispute

Source: Euronews 

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