“I was able to see firsthand the arrival of marine debris from neighboring countries, as well as learn about the daily work of the Coast Guard personnel stationed in the Nansha Islands,” Kuan Bi-ling wrote on Facebook, using the name adopted for the Spratly Islands. The head of Ocean Affairs accompanied the post with two photos of her team.
The official, who also traveled last week to the disputed island of Taiping – known as Itu Aba and under control since 1946 – to oversee Coast Guard exercises, stated that Vietnam had lodged complaints about the visit. This was the first trip by an official to the territory in seven years.
“Vietnam regularly lodges protests against other countries’ activities in the Spratly Islands. This time, the intensity of the reaction was no greater than usual, and our exercise has not caused nor will it cause tensions in the region,” she said.
The management of Taiping Island and Zhongzhou Reef “contributes to the international community” in areas such as humanitarian assistance, scientific research, and ecological conservation, according to Kuan.
Read more: China designates the islands it claims in the South China Sea as a strategic hub
“We will not allow the issue of sovereignty to become an obstacle in relations between the parties. This visit demonstrates our determination to act as a responsible steward,” he emphasized.
Brunei, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam claim, in whole or in part, more than a hundred islands and atolls in the South China Sea, a region rich in oil and gas reserves, important fishing grounds, and one of the world’s major shipping routes.
