Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday reaffirmed their sovereignty over four island groups in the South China Sea, while urging neighboring countries and territories involved in territorial disputes in the area to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation.

From the perspective of history, geography and international law, the Spratly Islands, as well as the Paracel, Macclesfield and Pratas island groups and their surrounding waters are all undoubtedly an inherent part of the Republic of China (Taiwan) territory, said MOFA spokeswoman Anna Kao.

The ROC government is willing to uphold the basic principles of “safeguarding sovereignty, shelving disputes, promoting peace, reciprocity and joint exploration” and work with other countries to maintain regional peace and stability, Kao said.

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