Taipei opens runway, lighthouse in Spratlys

Facilities meant for ‘peaceful purposes’

TAIPEI: Taiwan has begun the operation of a lighthouse, reconstructed runway and pier on a South China Sea island it administers, the Taiwanese government said.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that Interior Minister Chen Wei-zen and Coast Guard Administration Minister Wang Chung-yi officiated at a ceremony on Taiping, or Itu Aba, the largest natural island in the Spratly archipelago, to mark the start of operations of the new lighthouse and pier over the weekend.

Emphasising that the facilities are meant for peaceful purposes, Mr Chen said the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou intends to build Taiping into an island of “peace, ecology and low-carbon emissions”.

The solar-powered lighthouse is not only conducive to the transport of goods and materials, but also elevates its function by providing humanitarian assistance, he said.

Apart from a solar power supply system on the island, there is an area designated for the conservation of sea turtles and scientific research stations, he added.

The new docking facility will be the home port to 100-tonne coastguard cutters and could accommodate 3,000-tonne naval frigates.

While the statement did not mention the reconstructed runway perhaps because of its political sensitivity due to its military use, Deputy Minister of the Interior Jonathan Chen confirmed that the reconstruction project of the 1,195m-long landing strip has been completed and the delegation flew to Taiping Island on a C-130 military plane on Saturday.

Chen Wei-zen said they picked Saturday to visit the island because it marked the 69th anniversary of the handover of Taiping to the Republic of China, or Taiwan, when Japan relinquished sovereignty over the extensive Spratly and Paracel groups following World War II.

The Interior Minister also urged all disputants of the South China Sea to consider President Ma’s “South China Sea Peace Initiative” under which Mr Ma urged claimants to settle their differences through peaceful means by shelving disputes of sovereignty and jointly developing resources in the region.

Besides Taiwan, the disputes over islands and reefs in the South China Sea involve China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.