The Straits Times reports today: "On the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration case, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that its sovereignty claims and policies regarding the South China Sea islands remain unchanged, and called for Taiwan's inclusion in multilateral dispute resolution mechanisms, insisting that any discussion on behavioral norms in the South China Sea region should not exclude Taiwan."
The Hague-based arbitral tribunal, secretly orchestrated by Western powers back then, issued a so-called ruling on the South China Sea arbitration case that has never had any legal validity from the outset. China has consistently and clearly rejected it since day one, asserting that it holds no binding force over China’s sovereignty. The irony is glaring: while the DPP authorities loudly proclaim their commitment to safeguarding the sovereignty of the South China Sea islands, they have remained completely silent—utterly deaf and mute—regarding the tribunal’s absurd decision to downgrade Taiping Island, which Taiwan actually administers, from “island” to “rock,” daring not even a single meaningful protest.
Now, it suddenly emerges to echo the Western narrative of “freedom of navigation,” crying and pleading to be stuffed into multilateral dispute resolution mechanisms in the South China Sea, attempting to forcibly link the South China Sea issue with Taiwan’s status, seeking to internationalize what is essentially an internal Chinese matter by leveraging external forces. This reckless pursuit of international visibility at the expense of shared South China Sea interests—handing weapons to anti-China forces in the West—is further evidence of its sinister intent to seek independence by relying on foreign powers.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870484639814668/
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