ROC government position on the South China Sea arbitration

Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan) Press Release

July 12, 2016

ROC government position on the South China Sea arbitration

The tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration has rendered its award in the arbitration brought by the Philippines under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stresses that the ROC is entitled to all rights over the South China Sea Islands and their relevant waters in accordance with international law and the law of the sea. The arbitral tribunal did not formally invite the ROC to participate in its proceedings, nor did it solicit the ROC's views. The decisions of the tribunal which impinge on the interests of the ROC, especially with regard to the status of Taiping Island, have seriously undermined the rights of the ROC over the South China Sea Islands and their relevant waters. The ROC government does not accept any decisions that undermine the rights of the ROC, and declares that they have no legally binding force on the ROC.

The ROC government reiterates its firm position that the ROC has sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and their relevant waters. The government will staunchly safeguard the country's territory and sovereignty, and ensure that national interests are not jeopardized.

The ROC government urges that disputes in the South China Sea be settled peacefully through multilateral negotiations. The ROC is also willing, through negotiations conducted on the basis of equality, to work with all States concerned to advance peace and stability in the South China Sea. (End of Press Release)

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