China and Ma Ying-Jeou

Itu Aba: The island is part of the Spratly archipelago, where China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and the city-state of Brunei have overlapping claims, according to Asahi Shimbun. Roughly 2,000 kilometers south of Taiwan and 46 hectares in size, Taiping is the largest naturally occurring island in the area. Accompanied by about 30 staff members, Ma Ying-jeou spoke at a national monument on Taiping, also known as Itu Aba, and reiterated his call made last year for peaceful coexistence and joint development with other claimants. It has recently been eclipsed in size, however, by man-made islands created by China out of reefs and shoals. Ma cited infrastructure developments, including a 10-bed hospital and a lighthouse, saying they reinforced Taiwan claim of sovereignty and granted it rights over the surrounding waters. China has built housing, ports, airstrips and other infrastructure on the newly created islands, drawing accusations from the U.S. and others that it is exacerbating tensions in the strategically vital region. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.