Opinion | Taiwan can play peacemaker in South China Sea disputes
Frank Ching says China's strained ties with its neighbours over South China Sea claims give Taiwan an opportunity to make peace
An increasingly assertive China, simultaneously confronting several of its neighbours in East Asia, is turning to an unlikely source for support: Taiwan. Last week, Beijing called on Taipei for cooperation on the South China Sea, saying the two share a responsibility to safeguard Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The mainland evidently hopes to strengthen its position while binding Taiwan more closely to a "one China" stance.
In a way, this is logical since Beijing's territorial claims stem from those of the Republican government, which the Communists defeated in a civil war and whose successors today constitute the government of Taiwan.
Although Taiwan has rejected Beijing's proposal, the island is now in a position to wield influence disproportionate to its size. This is a chance for Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou to do what he wants: to "play a regional role as a peacemaker", as he put it last month in a video conference organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Asked if Taiwan could play a role "in the peaceful management" of South China Sea disputes, Ma responded that the spirit of his "East China Sea Peace Initiative", unveiled in 2012, could apply.
His idea is that claimants should shelve sovereignty disputes and share economic resources. By adopting this approach, Ma was able to reach an accord with Tokyo last year relating to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Taiwan also claims and calls the Diaoyutai. Under the agreement, fishermen from both sides can operate in waters around the disputed islands, without either side abandoning its sovereignty claim.