Taiping (island)
Encyclopedia
Itu Aba Island or Taiping Island , is the largest of the Spratly Islands
in the South China Sea
and the only island with a freshwater supply. The island is elliptical in shape being 1.4 km in length and 0.4 km in width. It is part of the Tizard Bank (Zheng He Reefs), one of seven reefs in the Spratly Islands near the centre of the South China Sea.
The island is administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan)
, as part of Cijin, Kaohsiung
. It is also claimed by the People's Republic of China
, the Philippines
and Vietnam
. The distance from Kaohsiung to Taiping Island is about 1600 km (994.2 mi).
for "What's that?" (spelled itu apa in the current orthography); or from Hainanese of Huángshānmǎ (黃山馬) - Widuabe; or said to be named after two Vietnamese maids (Tu and Ba) of a French Indochina
official charged with mapping the Spratly Islands.
The Chinese name Taiping Island is named after the Republic of China Navy
vessel Taiping which sailed to the island to re-claim the Spratlys after the Imperial Japanese Navy
abandoned it in 1945. The islands were formerly called Huángshānmǎ Jiāo (黃山馬礁) or Huángshānmǎ Zhì (黃山馬峙) by Chinese fishermen.
The Vietnamese
name for the island is đảo Ba Bình (Ba Bình Island), while in Filipino
it is called Ligaw ("lost" or "wild") Island.
During the Japanese
occupation of the island 1939-45, the name was used.
's surrender at the end of World War II
. On other western navigation maps, the island is named "Itu Aba Island".
It was claimed by the French as part of French Indochina
in 1887 who later occupied the island in 1932 as part of their assertion of control over their colonies in Vietnam and in reaction to the 1932 protest by the Republic of China of their sovereignty of the Paracels.
During World War II
, it was invaded by Japan
and converted to a submarine
base. It was administratively attached to the municipality of Takao (Kaohsiung) in the Japanese colony of Taiwan. Japan renounced its control in 1946 and turned over the island to the Republic of China.
On 12 December 1946, the island was placed under the administration of the Republic of China
's Guangdong
Province. However, during the split between the Chinese communists on mainland China and the Kuomintang
as a result of the Chinese Civil War
, the Republic of China military which relocated to Taiwan retained control of the garrison.
In 1952, a Philippine civilian began to mine sulfur from Itu Aba and that same year, a note attached to the Treaty of Taipei
provided the Republic of China arguments for sovereignty over the island.
From 2000 a detachment of the Coast Guard Administration was stationed at this island, replacing a Republic of China Marine Corps
detachment. The ROC's Central Weather Bureau also has employee presence on the island. The total population of the island is about 600 with no civilians.
In 2005 the government of the Republic of China announced its plan to build an airstrip on the island. In 2005 Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a representative to Taiwan
and requested the Republic of China to stop the construction. In early 2006, The Republic of China announced it would continue with its plans and the airstrip was completed in December 2007. A C-130 Hercules
transporter airplane first landed on the island on 21 January 2008. On 2 February 2008, The ROC's president Chen Shui-bian
personally visited the island accompanied by a significant naval force including two fleets with Kidd class destroyer
flagships and two submarines.
On 19 April 2011, it was announced that the ROC Marine Corps will be stationed again on Taiping Island.
and natural gas
beneath the South China Sea.
Although there are no long term inhabitants on the island, Itu Aba is administered under the Municipality
of Kaohsiung
City, Qijin District, by the Republic of China. Postal service is provided by Chunghwa Post
under the assigned area code "819". The Republic of China military postal service uses the designation "68局" for postage services for the island.
Facilities on the island are powered mainly by five 200 kW diesel generators; all fuel is shipped from Taiwan
island. In December 2001, solar energy devices of 20.3 kW capacity were erected as backup power.
There is a shelter for fishermen, hospital, weather stations, satellite telecommunications facilities, radar surveillance and other communications equipment located on the island.
There are five public telephones on the island, which are connected via satellite communications. There is also internet connectivity on the island.
Mobile phone reception is available for individuals with international roaming; signal from Vietnam Military Electronics and Telecommunications (Viettel Mobile) reaches the island from a GSM base station on Hongxiu Island currently controlled by Vietnam, and signal from China Mobile
can be accessed from a GSM base station located on Nanxun Reef controlled by the PRC. Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom
is evaluating feasibility to build satellite-based cellular base stations on the island to provide the coast guard with communication services.
Old bridge piers constructed in 1992 and are damaged have yet to be repaired. Supply material to the island is transported via shipping, where supplies are loaded and unloaded by raft and taken to and from shore from supply vessels anchored about 1.2 nautical miles away from the island. Since there are many reefs around the island and that the surrounding water is too shallow, transportation and supply vessels are unable to dock with the island itself. Supplies are transferred with a safety load of 10 tons, and there is a high degree of difficulty due to the risk of large waves; rubber rafts carrying supplies and maintenance require time-consuming and difficult manual handling. There is a current preparation of three ROC Coast Guard boats of M8 model, designated Nanhai 4, Nanhai 5 and Nanhai 6 ' onMouseout='HidePop("59182")' href="/topics/South_China_Sea">South China Sea
"); of these, the patrol capacity is insufficient to adequately monitor the island's surroundings, and so in December 2006 rebuilding of a damaged L-shaped pier, the Southern Star Ferry Pier , next to the park to improve the transportation and supply of materiel for the Coast Guard. Currently a military supply ship services the island during a single voyage in April and November each year, with each wayfare lasting three days and anchoring lasting one day, transporting personnel and supplying military materials. A civil merchant arrives at the island and stays on the island for 1 to 2 days every 20 days for general goods transportation and supply, and stationed personnel are able to ride a one-way trip that lasts for four days.
The island has a helicopter platform that is not used frequently. A take-off and landing airstrip caters for C-130 transport planes of the ROC Air Force, with one sortie arriving every two months. The runway on the island runs for 1200 metres long, 30 metres wide, and can accommodate two C-130 aircraft; there are plans to expand the runway in the future.
Land pricing is managed by the Kaohsiung local government, although there have been no cases of actual transactions being made. In 2007, the announced land value adjustments placed the value of land on Taiping Island at NT$400 per square metre.
Since Taiping island is a coral island, the surface includes fine sand and coral reefs formed by weathering. Around the island are sandy beaches, with narrower beaches on the south and north sides 5 metres wide, on the east side 20 metres wide, and in the southwest side 50 metres wide. The sand accumulated on the beach is rosy coloured, mainly formed from red coral fragments and shell debris.
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and the only island with a freshwater supply. The island is elliptical in shape being 1.4 km in length and 0.4 km in width. It is part of the Tizard Bank (Zheng He Reefs), one of seven reefs in the Spratly Islands near the centre of the South China Sea.
The island is administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, as part of Cijin, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
. It is also claimed by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The distance from Kaohsiung to Taiping Island is about 1600 km (994.2 mi).
Names
The name is Itu Aba, which has 3 different origins: one from the MalayMalay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
for "What's that?" (spelled itu apa in the current orthography); or from Hainanese of Huángshānmǎ (黃山馬) - Widuabe; or said to be named after two Vietnamese maids (Tu and Ba) of a French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
official charged with mapping the Spratly Islands.
The Chinese name Taiping Island is named after the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
vessel Taiping which sailed to the island to re-claim the Spratlys after the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
abandoned it in 1945. The islands were formerly called Huángshānmǎ Jiāo (黃山馬礁) or Huángshānmǎ Zhì (黃山馬峙) by Chinese fishermen.
The Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
name for the island is đảo Ba Bình (Ba Bình Island), while in Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
it is called Ligaw ("lost" or "wild") Island.
During the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
occupation of the island 1939-45, the name was used.
History
The island derives its Chinese name from the warship Taiping ("peace") sent to recover the island after JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's surrender at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On other western navigation maps, the island is named "Itu Aba Island".
It was claimed by the French as part of French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
in 1887 who later occupied the island in 1932 as part of their assertion of control over their colonies in Vietnam and in reaction to the 1932 protest by the Republic of China of their sovereignty of the Paracels.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was invaded by Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
and converted to a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
base. It was administratively attached to the municipality of Takao (Kaohsiung) in the Japanese colony of Taiwan. Japan renounced its control in 1946 and turned over the island to the Republic of China.
On 12 December 1946, the island was placed under the administration of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
's Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
Province. However, during the split between the Chinese communists on mainland China and the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
as a result of the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, the Republic of China military which relocated to Taiwan retained control of the garrison.
In 1952, a Philippine civilian began to mine sulfur from Itu Aba and that same year, a note attached to the Treaty of Taipei
Treaty of Taipei
The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty , commonly known as the Treaty of Taipei , was a peace treaty between Japan and the Republic of China signed in Taipei, Taiwan on April 28, 1952...
provided the Republic of China arguments for sovereignty over the island.
From 2000 a detachment of the Coast Guard Administration was stationed at this island, replacing a Republic of China Marine Corps
Republic of China Marine Corps
Republic of China Marine CorpsPersonnel15,000 The Republic of China Marine Corps is the amphibious arm of the Republic of China Navy responsible for amphibious combat, counter-landing and reinforcement of the main island of Taiwan, remote islands, defense of ROCN facilities, and also functions as...
detachment. The ROC's Central Weather Bureau also has employee presence on the island. The total population of the island is about 600 with no civilians.
In 2005 the government of the Republic of China announced its plan to build an airstrip on the island. In 2005 Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a representative to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and requested the Republic of China to stop the construction. In early 2006, The Republic of China announced it would continue with its plans and the airstrip was completed in December 2007. A C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
transporter airplane first landed on the island on 21 January 2008. On 2 February 2008, The ROC's president Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
personally visited the island accompanied by a significant naval force including two fleets with Kidd class destroyer
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
flagships and two submarines.
On 19 April 2011, it was announced that the ROC Marine Corps will be stationed again on Taiping Island.
Government and politics
The island, along with the rest of the Spratlys, is disputed by four countries on historical, geographic or technical grounds, as well as due to fishing rights, shipping lanes, and the potential of petroleumPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
beneath the South China Sea.
Although there are no long term inhabitants on the island, Itu Aba is administered under the Municipality
Direct-controlled municipality
A direct-controlled municipality is the highest level classification for cities used by unitary state, with status equal to that of the provinces in the respective countries...
of Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
City, Qijin District, by the Republic of China. Postal service is provided by Chunghwa Post
Chunghwa Post
The Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd. , formerly Taiwan Post Co. , is the official postal service of the Republic of China , providing mail service for Taiwan Area of the Republic of China. It also provides a savings account service...
under the assigned area code "819". The Republic of China military postal service uses the designation "68局" for postage services for the island.
Island conditions
There is plentiful freshwater on the island, however many naturally occurring wells contain chloride salts. There are a few wells on the eastern side of the island with acceptable quality freshwater, whilst the rest are not suitable for drinking. In the 1980s, the ROC Ministry of National Defense drilled various wells 600 metres deep throughout the island. In 1992, a water catchment, reservoirs and other facilities were constructed. In 1993, two complete desalination machines were placed on the island, which operate for four hours each day, generating approximately 6,000 gallons of fresh water.Facilities on the island are powered mainly by five 200 kW diesel generators; all fuel is shipped from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
island. In December 2001, solar energy devices of 20.3 kW capacity were erected as backup power.
There is a shelter for fishermen, hospital, weather stations, satellite telecommunications facilities, radar surveillance and other communications equipment located on the island.
There are five public telephones on the island, which are connected via satellite communications. There is also internet connectivity on the island.
Mobile phone reception is available for individuals with international roaming; signal from Vietnam Military Electronics and Telecommunications (Viettel Mobile) reaches the island from a GSM base station on Hongxiu Island currently controlled by Vietnam, and signal from China Mobile
China Mobile
China Mobile Limited is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world...
can be accessed from a GSM base station located on Nanxun Reef controlled by the PRC. Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom
Chunghwa Telecom
Chunghwa Telecom is the largest telecommunications company in Taiwan. It has its headquarters in Zhongzheng District, Taipei on the remains of the old Taipei Prison.- History :...
is evaluating feasibility to build satellite-based cellular base stations on the island to provide the coast guard with communication services.
Old bridge piers constructed in 1992 and are damaged have yet to be repaired. Supply material to the island is transported via shipping, where supplies are loaded and unloaded by raft and taken to and from shore from supply vessels anchored about 1.2 nautical miles away from the island. Since there are many reefs around the island and that the surrounding water is too shallow, transportation and supply vessels are unable to dock with the island itself. Supplies are transferred with a safety load of 10 tons, and there is a high degree of difficulty due to the risk of large waves; rubber rafts carrying supplies and maintenance require time-consuming and difficult manual handling. There is a current preparation of three ROC Coast Guard boats of M8 model, designated Nanhai 4, Nanhai 5 and Nanhai 6 ' onMouseout='HidePop("59182")' href="/topics/South_China_Sea">South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
"); of these, the patrol capacity is insufficient to adequately monitor the island's surroundings, and so in December 2006 rebuilding of a damaged L-shaped pier, the Southern Star Ferry Pier , next to the park to improve the transportation and supply of materiel for the Coast Guard. Currently a military supply ship services the island during a single voyage in April and November each year, with each wayfare lasting three days and anchoring lasting one day, transporting personnel and supplying military materials. A civil merchant arrives at the island and stays on the island for 1 to 2 days every 20 days for general goods transportation and supply, and stationed personnel are able to ride a one-way trip that lasts for four days.
The island has a helicopter platform that is not used frequently. A take-off and landing airstrip caters for C-130 transport planes of the ROC Air Force, with one sortie arriving every two months. The runway on the island runs for 1200 metres long, 30 metres wide, and can accommodate two C-130 aircraft; there are plans to expand the runway in the future.
Land pricing is managed by the Kaohsiung local government, although there have been no cases of actual transactions being made. In 2007, the announced land value adjustments placed the value of land on Taiping Island at NT$400 per square metre.
Ecology
The flora and fauna present on the island include swallows, papaya plant, coast oak, terminalia trees, lotus leaf tung tree, goodeniaceae, sea lemon, long stem chrysanthemum, long-saddle rattan, gray grass, coconut tree, banana tree, White-tailed Tropical Bird, Sparrow hawk, tropical fish, jellyfish and other various organisms.Geology and landform
The island has a long and narrow shape that is low and flat, that is approximately 1289.3m long and 365.7m wide. The area of the north-south coastline is 41.3 hectares, and the coastal vegetation line range is 36.6 hectares. The mean tide water over land area is approximately 0.49 square km, and during low sea tides the water reefs and land area is 0.98 square km, 4-6m above sea level.Since Taiping island is a coral island, the surface includes fine sand and coral reefs formed by weathering. Around the island are sandy beaches, with narrower beaches on the south and north sides 5 metres wide, on the east side 20 metres wide, and in the southwest side 50 metres wide. The sand accumulated on the beach is rosy coloured, mainly formed from red coral fragments and shell debris.
Natural resources
The island has historically been mined for phosphates to the point of exhaustion, and today has no major natural resources. There is a large number of discovered reserves of oil and natural gas beneath surrounding waters within the South China Sea Basin, however there has yet to be formal exploration and mining conducted.Weather
Taiping Island has a tropical climate, with the temperature averaging between 21 to 35 degrees Celsius. There is a strong southwest monsoon in summer months in June and July, with strong southwest wind and currents, and during the time typhoons become frequent there is abundant rainfall. The rainy season occurs during November and December.Tourist attractions
A temple on the island exists as a common visiting place. The southeast side of the island contains old Japanese constructions. The "Taiping Cultural Park" is located near the pier. There is also a pillar erected on the island that identifies Taiping Island as territory of the Republic of China.See also
- South China SeaSouth China SeaThe South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
- South China Sea IslandsSouth China Sea IslandsThe South China Sea Islands consist of over 250 around 1-km² islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars in the South China Sea, most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, some of which are permanently submerged...
- Dongsha Islands or Pratas IslandsPratas IslandsThe Pratas Islands or Dongsha Islands consists of three islands forming from an atoll located in northeastern South China Sea, southeast of Hong Kong. The islands are governed by the Republic of China . The People's Republic of China claims sovereignty over these islands along with all other...
- List of islands of the Republic of China