Taiwan's View on the South China Sea Issue

After Novinite published an official statement by China on the developments in the South China Sea last week, we were contacted by the Taipei Representative Office in Greece, representing the Republic of China (Taiwan), which offered its position, also known as the South China Sea Peace Initiative.

China does not recognize Taiwan and it was not mentioned in the statement, but we have decided to publish the text sent by Taipei since it is recognized by other countries involved in the South China Sea issue.

Again, Novinite is urged all the parties affected to provide their opinion.

Novinite is urging all the parties affected to provide their opinion on the issues discussed here. - See more at: http://www.novinite.com/articles/170337/Chinese+Foreign+Minister+Wang+Yi...

Islands in the South China Sea were first discovered, named, used, and incorporated into national territory by the Chinese. The ROC recovered the islands from Japan after the Second World War. The San Francisco Peace Treaty, which entered into effect on April 28, 1952, as well as the Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan which was signed that same day, together with other international legal instruments, reconfirmed that the islands and reefs in the South China Sea occupied by Japan should be returned to the ROC. In the several decades since, the fact that the ROC owns and exercises effective control over these islands has been recognized by foreign governments and international organizations.

As this year (2015) marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the countries surrounding the South China Sea should heed the lessons of...