The Role of Taiwan in South China Sea

Abstract

This article aims to study the role of Taiwan in the South China Sea. The territorial disputes in the South China Sea is the one of the major problems that affects regional peace and stability. The overlapping ownership claims by many countries make the conflict complex to resolve. The first official claimant is Republic of China (Taiwan), who created the dash line map in 1947 to portray the territory of China in the South China Sea. After the civil war in China, the Chinese communist government has used the map to claim their rights in the South China Sea until nowadays. Therefore, the study of Taiwan’s role in the South China Sea naturally focuses on the initiation of claims, the dash line map creation, and Taiwan's occupancy of Taiping Island, the largest island in the Spratly Islands. Moreover, the role of Taiwan as a claimant is complex because it has not been internationally recognized as a sovereignty state. Consequently, Taiwan has not been invited to participate in multilateral forums, which undermines attempts to resolve the South China Sea dispute. This article collected data from relevant news, documents, and articles on the role of Taiwan in the South China Sea.