New Southbound Policy Portal
CGA members and other staff stationed on Taiping Island give the thumbs-up following a flag-raising ceremony Jan. 1 in the South China Sea. (Courtesy of CGA)
In light of attempts by neighboring countries to assert maritime and territorial rights in the region, the CGA said it is continuing to crack down on foreign fishing vessels trespassing in ROC territorial waters. At the same time, the government is continuing to strengthen Taiping Island’s search and rescue as well as emergency medical capabilities.
The CGA said its efforts are in line with the national policy of turning the island into a base for providing humanitarian aid and supplies in the South China Sea.
A lighthouse and wharf have been established to enhance navigation safety in the region, and solar power generation facilities work to reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions, the administration said. These efforts are helping further the government’s policy of transforming Taiping into a peaceful, low-carbon island, the CGA added.
With an area of 0.51 square kilometers, Taiping Island is the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha Islands. It has fresh water, can sustain diverse and self-sufficient economic activity, and fully meets the criteria of an island as defined by international law and the law of the sea. (SFC-E)