Abstract
Since the end of the Cold War, the potentially oil-rich Spratly (Nansha) Islands have become a flashpoint in the Asia-Pacific. The Spratlys, which consist of 230 islands, reefs, cays and banks, are claimed wholly or in part by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. Even though only about 30 inlets in the Spratly Archipelago are above water at high tide, five of the claimants have garrisons stationed or have put up stilted structures on more than 40 inlets and reefs. The dispute involved not only several bilateral conflicts (China vs. Vietnam in 1974 and 1988; China vs. the Philippines in 1995) but also a possible conflict between two groupings: the ASEAN states (Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam) versus the non-ASEAN countries (China and Taiwan). There is a continuoud debate in Taiwan over what should be the official position on Spratlys, that is, whether Taipei should join the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in refuting other claimants. Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation and its inadequate power projection further complicate Taipei’s South China Sea policy dilemma.
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