Island or Rock? Taiwan Defends Its Claim in South China Sea

Kevin Druger

                This article discusses a small island in the South China Sea called Itu Aba. Currently Taiwan is claiming the territory as its own and is stating that they are using it as a type of base used for maritime aid. However, as we have discussed in class, the South China Sea is an area of dispute. China has also stated that the island, this one actually being a natural island unlike the islands it has been manufacturing/building in the area, is rightfully theirs. Another twist in the situation is that in an international arbitration panel two years ago, the Philippines, trying to prevent China from claiming the land, argued that it is not technically an island and is instead just a rock. This view was affirmed by the panel, which means that Taiwan can no longer claim exclusive economic control over the waters that surround the land. The article goes on to express just how, frankly, backwards the whole situation is. As the article states, this “rock” is more of an island than any of the man-made ones that China is claiming. This land mass actually has vegetation such as banana and coconut trees, which makes it more habitable than the Chinese islands. What makes the situation even more compelling is that the same panel that stated this island was a rock and no nation could claim the area around it is pretty much being ignored by both Taiwan and China. It will be interesting to see how the whole situation, not just this island or “rock”, in the South China Sea plays out as it seems that China the largest player in the area really just seems to be doing whatever it wants.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/world/asia/china-taiwan-island-south-sea.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fworld&action=click&contentCollection=world&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront