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Taiwan stresses claim to offshore islets
Taipei (AFP) Nov 24, 2009 Taiwan has underlined its claim to two islets near the coast of China, an official said Tuesday, in response to criticism that it was leaving their status vague in order to improve ties with Beijing. Local media reported that the offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu were left off a newly released official chart of Taiwan's territorial waters. This sparked criticism from the opposition, which views China with great suspicion, that the government was practically "giving away" the islets to Beijing. However, Cabinet spokesman Su Jun-pin said Taiwan had never relinquished its territorial claims to the islets. "The areas are under our jurisdiction and we would never give up Kinmen and Matsu when charting our territorial waters," he said in a statement. He did not explain why the islets were not on the chart. Kinmen, actually a group of small islands, is only two kilometres (one mile) away from the Chinese city of Xiamen at the closest point. Taiwan once had up to 120,000 troops in the Kinmen islands, as both a first line of defence against a possible Chinese invasion and a first contingent capable of attacking the mainland. Although Taiwan has been governed separately since the civil war ended in 1949, China still claims the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. Relations have improved markedly since Beijing-friendly Ma Ying-jeou became president of Taiwan last year. However, Taiwan's opposition, which favours independence from China, has repeatedly accused Ma of jeopardising the island's sovereignty to improve ties with Beijing.
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