Hua was reacting to comments by Daniel Russel, top U.S. diplomat for East Asia that the upcoming ruling by an global tribunal on the arbitration case brought by the Philippines would be a critical moment for the “rules-based” future of the region.
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Two dozen journalists were flown to the island aboard a Taiwanese air force C-130 transport plane that landed on an airstrip guarded by coast guard sentries with rifles.
But the Spratlys are also claimed in part or whole by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei and have been at the centre of escalating rows.
The itinerary for the three-hour tour – organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – included a visit to a farm, a hospital, water wells, solar generators, a temple and a wharf.
The trip took place about two months after President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) visited Itu Aba on January 28, where he reiterated that it is an “island” rather than a “rock” and that the Republic of China (ROC) holds sovereignty over the land mass.
The Philippines “remains ignorant” of conditions on Taiping and has “misled the arbiters with absurd reasoning”, added Mr Ma.
A new agreement with the Philippines clears the way for a new permanent USA military footprint at five military bases that will support rotational deployments near the shores of the contested South China Sea.
Based on a boundary known as the nine-dash line first drawn before China and Taiwan split in 1949, Taipei makes an overlapping claim with Beijing to virtually the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometer (1.4 million-square-mile) South China Sea. Yet it threatens also to harm relations between the Philippines and fellow pro-US democracy Taiwan, whichgenerally enjoy friendly neighborly relations.
Now the Philippines are contesting China’s claims to the disputed islands at the Hague, and a decision is expected by May.
The Chinese government said that the deal granting United States access on five Philippine military bases should not be meant to target a third country.
Rival claimants in the South China Sea have been beefing up their military presence in the disputed region, and other countries have complained China is becoming increasingly aggressive in pressing its case.
Tensions in the region have been on the rise, with Beijing and Washington trading accusations that the other is militarizing the region as China expands its reclamation and construction activities on several reefs while the United States undertakes more freedom of navigation patrols and overflights.
“China is, however, self-isolating … that’s why all these partners are coming to us”, Carter said. “We just follow our regulations and standard procedures to disperse them”, Wang said.
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China is now accusing Filipino fishermen of throwing firebombs at its “law enforcement vessels”, while the fishermen say the Chinese have been driving their trawlers away from traditional fishing grounds, pelting them with bottles when they did not move quickly enough.
