"Taiwan Builds Up Its Military Presence On South China Sea" Topic

… Island That It Controls

"Taiwan's military has stepped up training of troops and added defensive weaponry on the contested South China Sea's biggest natural island to prepare for any attack by Beijing, analysts believe.

Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told parliament March 17 China was "capable" of attacking and that he wanted Taiping Island "to be ready at all times," local media reports said. He was referring to a sparsely populated feature in the Spratly archipelago that is located 1,500 kilometers southwest of Taiwan and disputed by five other governments, including China.

"That signals unequivocally that Taipei is concerned and takes China's ambitions, statements and actions — reaffirming that Beijing intends to [capture] the island — very seriously," said Fabrizio Bozzato, senior research fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation's Ocean Policy Research Institute…"

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I was not aware that one of the "biggest naturally occurring islands" in the South China Sea is controlled by Taiwan. This island is far-away from Taiwan, but Taiwan is claiming jurisdiction. It is also an island that is being claimed by the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.

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Armand

Tango, Taiwan still regards itself as part of China and thus has many similar claims to PRC.

This has been ignored by many western commentators as it convolutes things.

"Evil" China want SC Sea doesn't work and we can't let them have it if "good" Taiwan also claims SC Sea!

It's also a condemnation of the modern UN systems that allows disputes to fester for decades (and probably centuries) without resolution. Other examples are Western Sahara, Palestine, Kashmir, Senkakus, even some areas in western Europe and a million others! (And often at terrible human cost – a quick war is better than a long protracted low boil conflict).

As much as I disagree with China taking over SC Sea, I agree with their approach. It's ambitious and shows vision and guts. And it effectively resolves the dispute.

arealdeadone in the 1930's

As much as I disagree with Japan taking over Asia, I agree with their approach. It's ambitious and shows vision and guts. And it effectively resolves the dispute.

Wackmole9,

If the west retained the same ambition and drive the Chinese (or even Russians, Saudis, Turks and Iranians) do, we wouldn't be in this mess.

I understand Europeans, Americans and other Star Trek fans have been working hard on their dream of a globalised world utopia, but alas that was never going to happen because hates a vacuum.

And that globalised model just froze conflict better than any Russians could ever do.

On the upside, we won't get into a 1939 style situation because the west is no longer ambitious or as powerful let alone patriotic ("patriotism is racist umkay").

There are no more Churchills, just Chamberlains and "peace in our time"

The 21st century belongs to the Chinese and anyone else who wants to take it.

Don't be so sure on the globalization issue, since China IS on the march, and seems to have a lot of friends/allies/staff/spies on the other side of the Pacific.

They make and have very ambitious long-range plans, a "President for life", and the money and expanding military to get a lot of "jobs" done.

Thanks!.

I'm really afraid about the Chinese in the near future….

Armand

It will be VERY interesting to see how China deals with this, given how they've dealt with others in the past, including massacring a bunch of Vietnamese troops on a small underwater atoll some years back.

I suspect this might definitely be a flashpoint between the two nations, in addition to the small island(s) much closer to Taiwan in the Taiwanese Strait. Apparently, it is believed China may make a play against those too, first, before attacking Taiwan directly, if/when it chooses to do so.