Taiwan to release book detailing its role in the South China Sea

TAIPEI – The Taiwanese Government has announced that its Ministry of the Interior (MOI) will release a new book in August which documents Government efforts to develop national territories in the South China Sea over the past century.

The Government says the book, titled ‘Compilation of Historical Archives on the Southern Territories of the ROC’, is expected to help the public better understand the historical context and facts supporting Taiwanese sovereignty in the region.
At the same time, the book is said to pay tribute to the dedication and sacrifice of Taiwan military personnel in safeguarding national territory and providing assistance to foreign fishermen operating in the South China Sea.
According to the MOI, the publication comprises mainly materials on display at an exhibition jointly organised last year by Academia Sinica and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and National Defence in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. 
One highlight, an MOI official said, is excerpts of an interview with Admiral Miao Yong-qing and his personal collection of photos taken while serving on board ROCN Tai Ho DE-23 in 1966. “These provide rare documentary evidence of activities by the ROC navy on Northeast Cay, Southwest Cay and Thitu Island of the Nansha (Spratly) Islands,” the official said.
Other highlights include a section dedicated to recent infrastructure projects spanning solar energy and transportation on Taiping—the largest naturally-formed island in the Nansha chain.
The timing of the release of the book and last year’s exhibition are particularly significant given rising tensions stemming from sovereignty disputes over the region, prompting Taiwan’s President, Ma Ying-jeou, to propose his South China Sea Peace Initiative in May.  www.taiwantoday.tw.com (ATI).
“Such initiatives, along with the undeniable fact that Taiping has been garrisoned by ROC troops since 1956, underscore the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights based on U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the official added. (SFC-JSM)