Research On The Evolution Of Taiwan Authorities' South China Sea Policy Since The New Century

With the development of economic globalization,the attributes of maritime rights have been transitioned from the traditional attribute of single power to the dual attributes of power strengthening and rights maintenance.The nature of China's modern maritime rights is to maintain the integration of ocean sovereignty,maritime power and maritime interests.Among them,maritime sovereignty and maritime power belong to the category of power attributes of maritime rights,and the way to achieve maritime rights is to implement maritime power strategy,while the maritime interests belong to the right attributes of maritime rights.Therefore,the realization of China's modern maritime rights is the unification of the strategy of maritime power and the maintenance of maritime rights.Taiwan plays a relatively limited role in maintaining the rights attributes of maritime rights and continuously strengthens its naval power in the dispute over the South China Sea.It is only through the cooperation between Taiwan and mainland that can strengthen the maintenance of maritime rights and maximize the interests of the South China Sea.It is necessary to analyze the evolution of the South China Sea policy of the Taiwan authorities since the new century as well as the origin of policies made by the authorities before.There are six periods.The period of the construction of the monument(1949s-1955s),The period of Anti-Communist priority and the rights protection(1956s-1970s),The period of emphasized diplomacy and ignored sovereignty(1971s-1988s),the period of relative pro-active policies of the South China Sea(1989-1993).The period of shirk and avoidance(1993-1995),the period of less awareness of maritime power(1995s-2000s).On May 20 of 2000,Chen Shui-Bian voted as leader of Taiwan,during his 8years in government,independent forces of Taiwan rapidly swelled,and influenced by independent thoughts,the South China Sea policy were changed.In order to highlight the subjectivity of Taiwan,the South China Sea policy is mainly manifested in the following aspects: firstly,highlighting Ocean Founding Policy,advocating the sense of Taiwan Sovereignty;secondly,rejecting Cross-Strait cooperation;thirdly,strengthening eco-protection and broadening diversified ideas.It presented a mutability and out-of-balance situation,and predicted anti-phagocyte effect.On the issue of the South China Sea,Ma Ying-jeou was more active than Chen Shui-bian.He followed the principles of making decisions and shelving differences,pursuing peace and mutual benefits and seeking joint development.Ma Ying-jeou emphasized that the so-called Republic of China owned the sovereignty of the South China Sea,both sides of the Straits can cooperate in energy security.The cooperation between the two sides of the Straits in the South China Sea is not only a wise choice for Taiwan authorities,but it is also the trend of the times.With the theory of SWOT,we analyze the advantages,disadvantages,opportunities and threats of cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in the South China Sea dispute.Since its second governing of the DPP on May 2016,Tsai Ing-wen's policies on the South China Sea are shown in the following aspects: firstly,sovereignty restricted to Taiping Island and its surrounding waters;secondly,highlighting the peaceful settlement of the South China Sea dispute by international law;thirdly,double opposition--op posing cooperation with mainland and opposition to the bilateral framework to solve the South China Sea dispute;fourthly,collaboration with the United States and other foreign powers to strengthen the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.The adverse effects of Tsai Ing-wen's policies are as follows.Firstly,highlighting independence of Taiwan,sovereignty is limited to Taiping Island and its surrounding waters,ignoring the historic rights of the South China Sea.Secondly,it is more difficult for both sides of the Taiwan Straitsto jointly defend the argument of the so-called ancestral power in the South China Sea and jointly safeguard their rights.Thirdly,catering to the policies made by the U.S.and Japan,and strengthening Taiwan's participation in South China Sea Negotiation as an equal party.Fourthly,emphasizing that the South China Sea dispute is based on international law and inherits the negative aspects and fuzziness of Taiwan's South China Sea policy.The rights of the South China Sea are further marginalized.By summarizing the South China Sea policy of the Taiwan authorities since the new century,the similarities between the Kuomintang and the DPP in the South China Sea lie in the fact that the South China Sea's strategic claims are all pro-American.Both parties do not agree with China's cooperation in safeguarding rights in the South China Sea.In particular,the DPP is strongly opposed to cooperation between the two sides of the Straits.They all advocate that all parties should settle the South China Sea dispute in accordance with international law,especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,the UN Charter,and other international laws,so that disputes in the South China Sea can be handled in a peaceful manner.Both parties believe that Taiwan has the right to be a party to the South China Sea and participate in the South China Sea dispute settlement mechanism.Both parties believe that the resolution of the dispute over the South China Sea will require joint efforts and unilateral changes in the status quo in the South China Sea.Although the Kuomintang and the DPP have made some similarities over the South China Sea issue,yet there are indeed some differences between the two parties on the South China Sea issue,which are reflected in the following aspects: Firstly,the KMT is able to clearly express that Taiwan dares to defend its position in the South China Sea.The DPP only symbolically expresses its opposition to the claims of infringement of other countries involved in the South China Sea issue.The DPP highlights ensuing sovereignty,peaceful stability,multilateral cooperation,sustainable development.Secondly,there are differences between the two parties on the 11-point line claim.Thirdly,on the issue of the cooperation over the South China Sea between the two sides of the straits,although the two parties did not reach any agreement on cooperation with the mainland,there are still some differences.The Kuomintang's attitude is relatively moderate,and to some extent it even adopts the attitude of acquiescence,but the DPP clearly opposes the cross-strait cooperation in the South China Sea.Fourthly,the two parties are inconsistent on Taiwan's participation in the subject of South China Sea negotiations.Fifth,the two parties are inconsistent on the provocation of the U.S.and Japan,as well as the South China Sea and their infringement of the rights on the South China Sea.At present,the struggles of the two parties of blue and green on the islands weakened the power,the cross-strait political differences brought Taiwan's rights protection to marginalization,extraterritorial countries restricted Taiwan's rights protection and resisted cross-strait mutual rights protection,and the issue of the South China Sea presents multiple-game structural models,which has made Taiwan's South China Sea policy face difficulties.Taiwan needs to nurture the marine awareness and marine culture of its people,to promote cooperation between the two sides of the strait in the South China Sea,to actively study and adhere to the U-shaped line,never waver,to authorize nongovernmental organizations to carry out resource exploration and cooperation research.It should enhance the actuality of Taiping Island,take measures to control capabilities and safeguard the interests of the South China Sea.The DPP is currently the largest political party in Taiwan.The Kuomintang has been sluggish since its defeat in the 2016 election,and the DPP is likely to remain in power for a long time.The trend of future Taiwan's South China Sea policy is reflected in the fact that no matter which political party comes to power,the focus of its South China Sea policy will be shifted to Taiping Island.The situation in the South China Sea has already been an international trend.Taiwan's South China Sea policy will be internationalized and multilateralized.In the future,the two parties' policies of the South China Sea between the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party will converge and the differences between the two major parties will be relatively narrow.The new Southbound policy will exchange role of the South China Sea policy.The new Southbound policy is no longer one of the Taiwan South China Sea policy tools.Instead,the South China Sea policy will become one of the new Southbound policy tools.In the face of various trends in Taiwan's South China Sea policy,the Chinese mainland must be calm and take advantage of the situation,basing on reality.We should respond with reasons and benefits,and strive to maximize the benefits of the South China Sea.Firstly,we should be good at fighting and dare to struggle to force the US South Sea policy back to neutralization.Secondly,it should be rational and beneficial,and it plays a positive and constructive role for ASEAN on the South China Sea issue.Thirdly,the strategy of the following Taiwan mainly includes aspects: strengthening cross-strait civil law enforcementand cooperation in energy development;establishing the “second rail” negotiation mechanism for the cross-strait South China Sea,“one-China principle” negotiating a functional organization for the South China Sea issue;relying on the “The Belt and Road Initiative”strategic platform.We must respond to the new orientation to the South and build cross-strait collective identities and strengthening the common discourse system for related issues in the South China Sea.