(From Reuters)
Taiwan on Friday called on an international tribunal not to make a ruling on a disputed South China Sea island if the judges do not first visit it to see for themselves it can sustain life.
Taiwan wants to prove Itu Aba (Taiping) is not just a rock, but a real island that can qualify for a maritime economic zone.
China refuses to recognise a case lodged by the Philippines with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague over the South China Sea and says such disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks.
The panel does not rule on sovereignty but it does outline a system of economic zones that can be claimed from features such as islands.
“The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan’s formal name) once again solemnly invites the five arbitrators (in the Philippine case) to conduct a field study on Taiping Island,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Read More