{
  "id": 110823,
  "title": "KMT accuses Taiwan’s government of failing to uphold South China Sea claims",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/kmt-accuses-taiwans-government-of-failing-to-uphold-south-china-sea-110823",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T02:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3362823/kmt-accuses-taiwans-government-failing-uphold-south-china-sea-claims"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Opposition parties in Taiwan have criticized the government for not taking a strong stance in defending the island's claims in the South China Sea, following the Philippine government's attempts to define territorial sea baselines around Scarborough Shoal. The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) pointed out that the government is hesitant to engage with the Philippines, lodge protests, or take action when faced with similar disputes. Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Taiwan's claims in the South China Sea remain unchanged and they oppose any attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion. The government emphasized the importance of resolving disputes peacefully under international law, but did not directly address the chart submitted by Manila to the United Nations. The opposition Taiwan People's Party and other legislators urged the government to respond more firmly, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) defended its approach, stressing adherence to international law. The South China Sea arbitration ruling from 2016, which classified Taiwan-administered Taiping Island as a rock, remains rejected by Taiwan. Recently, Manila submitted its official nautical chart for Scarborough Shoal to the UN, marking the 10th anniversary of the arbitration ruling. Beijing dismissed the ruling as \"a piece of waste paper\" and accused Manila of infringing on Chinese sovereignty, escalating tensions in the region.",
  "summary": "Opposition parties in Taiwan have accused the government of failing to defend the island’s long-standing claims in the South China Sea, following its muted response to Philippine attempts to delimit a disputed shoal. “The government speaks loudly when confronting mainland China, but falls silent when Japan or the Philippines challenges Taiwan’s claims,” Kuomintang culture and communications…",
  "key_points": [
    "Opposition KMT criticizes government for weak stance on South China Sea claims.",
    "Taiwan's Foreign Ministry maintains unchanged claims and opposes force/coercion.",
    "Taiwan rejects 2016 arbitration ruling rejecting Taiping Island as rock."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The criticism from opposition parties suggests that Taiwan's government may be seen as weakening its stance on South China Sea claims, potentially ceding ground to China and the Philippines.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "Trump envoy Steve Daines to return to Beijing as US and China lock in Xi summit agenda",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/31/trump-envoy-steve-daines-to-return-to-beijing-as-us-and-china-lock-in",
        "published": "2026-07-31T22:00:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}