Developments in China, Taiwan and Viet Nam
A group of islands, the Spratly's are potentially rich in fish, gas and oil and have an ownership that is at best disputed.
While China (who claims ownership) is fussing with Taiwan, trying to get that economic powerhouse to come gracefully home (NOT), Viet Nam (who claims ownership) just announced that it will be sending boatloads of tourists over there to look at the wildlife...
Background from
CIA World Factbook
bq. The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 50 islands are occupied by China (about 450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), and Vietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts.
From
Channel News Asia:
bq. Vietnam has reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Spratly islands, one day after announcing it would start sending tourists to the disputed islands in the South China Sea.
bq. "Vietnam has time and time again asserted its indisputable sovereignty over both Truong Sa (Spratley) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes," foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung was quoted as saying in state media.
bq. A Vietnamese official said Wednesday local tourists could visit the Spratlys if an inaugural trip planned for mid-April was a success.
OK now... Let's hear from China - from the
Borneo Bulletin:
bq. A lingering dispute between China and Vietnam flared up Thursday over Vietnamese plans to send tourists to the Spratly archipelago, as both sides claimed sovereignty over the potentially oil-rich islands.
bq. China warned Vietnam against sending boatloads of tourists to the South China Sea islands, known in Chinese as the Nansha, saying it would be violating Chinese territorial integrity.
And the Taiwanese chime in here in the
Vietnam New Agency:
bq. Recently, Taiwan conducted unusual action at the Ban Than Reef located in the northern part of the Truong Sa Islands. At 7 am on March 23, 2004, a Taiwanese speed boat carrying eight people, four containers of black paint and two square wooden sheets traveled from the Ba Binh Island under Taiwan's control to the Ban Than Reef. After working on measurement, at 1.15 pm the same day, they erected four concrete stilts each 2.5m high and spaced 3m apart to form a square. Then, the boat sped back to the Ba Binh Island, leaving the eight people on the Ban Than Reef. So far, construction of a house on those stilts has already been completed and more construction work is continuing on the coral reef.
So the Taiwanese are building a building on concrete stilts over a reef.
This will be interesting to keep watching - back burner item definitely, more a case of three nations jostling and pushing for territory without wanting to draw attention to themselves...
Posted by DaveH at March 31, 2004 12:08 AM