A leading US academic with close ties to the White House is urging the US to open talks with Taiwan on the “nine-dash line.”

Senior Fellow in International Diplomacy at the Brookings Institution Jeffrey Bader made the call in his new paper on ending ambiguity in the South China Sea.

The so-called “nine-dash” demarcation line is used by China and Taiwan to support claims to parts of the South China Sea, including contested areas of the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) and Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) believed to contain large oil deposits.

“The US should discuss with Taiwan whether it can clarify its position on the nine-dash line, to make clear that its claims are consistent with the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” Bader said.

Read more: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/02/12/2003583323