Taiwan refutes Vietnam's claim on Spratly Islands
TAIPEI - Taiwan on Tuesday refuted Vietnam's recent protest that Taipei violated Vietnamese sovereignty over the Spratly Islands by expanding a runway for bigger planes to land and take off on the archipelago in the South China Sea. "Historically and geographically, the Spratlys are the traditional territory of the Republic of China, whose sovereignty and rights over the island group are undisputable," Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a late-night statement.
The Republic of China, the official name for Taiwan, claims all of the Spratlys, as do the People's Republic of China and Vietnam. Malaysia and the Philippines claim parts of the island group.
The statement said Taiwan had stationed troops on Taiping islet, the largest islet in the Spratlys also known as Itu Aba, for a long time and had built a simple runway for the air transport of daily necessities, medical aid and relevant materials.
The ministry's comments came after Vietnam protested on Thursday against Taiwan's reconstruction of a runway on the Spratlys, saying it was a serious infringement of Vietnam's sovereignty.
According to Taiwan's opposition parliamentarians, the runway is being expanded to allow President Chen Shui-bian to take his special plane to inspect the islet before his second four-year term ends in May 2008.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry denied the reconstruction was related to Chen's visit.
Deutsche Presse Agentur - November 20, 2007.
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