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Cross-party group
makes visit to Dongsha Islands
Staff writer, with CNA
Seven legislators from across the political spectrum flew to the Dongsha Islands
(東沙群島, known as the Pratas Islands in English) in the South China Sea yesterday
as part of efforts to highlight Taiwan’s sovereignty amid growing tensions in
the disputed area.
The trip came on the heels of a visit late last month by several other lawmakers
to Taiping Island (太平島), the main island of the Spratley Islands in the
simmering region, for a similar purpose.
The latest trip was led by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Mark
Chen (陳唐山), a co-convener of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense
Committee.
The other members of the group were DPP legislators Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯),
Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Hsueh Ling (薛凌), as well as their Chinese Nationalist
Party (KMT) colleagues Chan Kai-chen (詹凱臣) and Chen Cheng-hsiang (陳鎮湘), and
People First Party Legislator Chang Show-foong (張曉風).
Chang said prior to the group’s departure from Taipei International Airport (Songshan
airport) that she was very pleased to join the group on the tour of the Dongsha
Islands, which are located about 450km off Taiwan’s southwestern coast.
“This is my first trip to Dongsha and I hope to look into the ecological and
fishery protection measures in place there,” Chang said.
Tsai said the Dongsha and Taiping islands are Taiwanese sovereign territory.
“As tensions in the South China Sea have been escalating recently, we want to
reassert our country’s claim to the region through our visit,” Tsai said, adding
that the group would also help boost the morale of military and coast guard
personnel stationed on the islands.
The South China Sea is seen as a flashpoint because Taiwan, China, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or part of the 3.5 million
square kilometer area, which includes the Spratly, Paracel and Pratas islands,
the Macclesfield Bank and the Scarborough Shoal.
A standoff between armed Chinese and Philippine vessels has continued since
April 10 near the Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island (黃岩島) in Taiwan,
over conflicting sovereignty claims.
Taiwan occupies Dongsha, the largest island in the South China Sea, as well as
Taiping Island, the largest island in the Spratlys.
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