South China sea disputes: Taiwan’s opportunities and challenges

Abstract

The South China Sea (SCS) is always a hot issue in the Asia-Pacific region after World War II. The US rebalancing strategy to Asia and China’s rising power influence the order of this region. Taiwan is one of six claimants in the SCS and effectively occupies Itu Aba and the Ban Than Reef. There are three challenges that Taiwan faces in the recent situation. The first challenge is the legal war between the Philippines and China. The second one is taking sides. The last one is ensuring sovereignty. However, Taiwan could transfer those challenges into opportunities. International cooperation on environment and humanitarian issues among all claimants is the best way to deal with disputes. After creating initiatives, Taiwan could play a constructive role to carry out the details of those initiatives.