Editor's Note:

China is entangled in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and elsewhere, and some are calling for joint efforts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. As a participant in the "five nations, six parties" involved in the South China Sea disputes, what role Taiwan could play? Will Taiwan cooperate with the mainland in the disputes in the South China Sea?

Maritime cooperation protects interests of all Chinese

Taiwan is strategically important in the South China Sea.

Southeast Asian nations are aware of this, and are concerned about the possibility of a team-up between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on South China Sea disputes.

Actually, cooperation across the Taiwan Straits on the South China Sea disputes would not be an isolated event. It can also become key to the security cooperation across the Straits, a touchstone for the protection of national sovereignty, and a chance for Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou to retrieve his popularity.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan should work together to guard China's sovereignty in the South China Sea region.

In reality, Taiwan has to refer to US reactions when considering cooperation with the Chinese mainland. This is why Ma is quite passive when dealing with the South China Sea issue.

Some commentators have pointed out that Ma's diplomatic policy is pro-US, due to his education there, but not pro-Japan.

This has been reflected in his different attitudes on the South China Sea disputes and the Sino-Japanese dispute over Diaoyu Islands. He is quite passive on the former issue while holding strong views on the latter one.

Personally, I think Ma should not be timid in cooperating with the Chinese mainland on the South China Sea issues.

Official security cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan is going through difficulties currently. Due to the pressure Taiwan may receive from the US, Ma is not able to show clear support for the Chinese mainland on the South China Sea issue. But of course, he has other methods to back the mainland, and he can still express support.

Ma could initially begin to cooperate with the mainland economically. For instance, he could announce joint exploration programs between Taiwanese energy companies and mainland ones. This will be good for the future structure of cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

Currently, Taiwan security bureau has not clarified its position on the South China Sea. But other economic and development official institutions, such as Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development, can plan joint projects in collaboration with the Chinese mainland.

Through such methods, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan can begin to jointly exploit the gas and oil resources in the South China Sea.

In Ma's remaining term of office, he is expected to improve economic, educational, and social cooperation across the Straits. I believe he will also improve political and security cooperation after 2014, when the timing is more favorable.

The cooperation in the economic, cultural and social field can first act as a method for Taiwan and the Chinese mainland to sound out each other and contribute to the mutual trust. And political cooperation across the Taiwan Straits and then following cooperation in the security field will then be possible.

This process may not be smooth but constant efforts should be made by both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland in order to protect Chinese territory for future generations.

The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Fu Qiang based on an interview with Li Fei, deputy director of Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University. fuqiang@globaltimes.com.cn

Taiwanese public has mixed feelings on sea disputes

Taiwan is at an important point to make strategic shifts.

In the old days, many Taiwanese felt isolated from the international community and a lack of sense of security. As a result, reliance on the US, especially in security, was the sole option political leaders in Taiwan could choose. However, as the relation across the Taiwan Straits has been improved these years, I see another option for Taiwan political leaders in the security field, to cooperate with the Chinese mainland.

This potential policy shift can be reflected by Taiwan's stance on the South China Sea issue. In June, the US noted that Taiwan is being "very, very careful" on the issue after a joint seminar in Washington, according to a spokesperson from the State Department. But actually, Taiwan evaluates this issue from its own perspective and decides its policy on this issue independently from the US.

Taiwan and Chinese mainland's interests overlap on the South China Sea issue. However, there are both supporting factors and obstacles in Taiwan's cooperation with the Chinese mainland.

The most influential supporting factor is Taiwan's control over Taiping Island. Vietnam has seized many islands in the South China Sea in recent years. But Taiwan began to engage in many islands much earlier. Among the islands controlled by Taiwan, Taiping Island holds a significant key position.

Due to the tough natural environment of most islands in the South China Sea, many of them are not fit for human inhabitants. Taiping Island, as the only island with fresh water resource, is a critical location.

Obstacles, on the other hand, include the Taiwanese people and the political leaders' negative attitude on the South China Sea issue and the political relations across the Taiwan Straits.

Taiwan's diplomatic isolation makes many people in Taiwan quite negative on the South China Sea issue.

During the process of Taiwan's democratization, many groups in Taiwan begin to shape a democratic spirit and a more localized social identity. As well as public attitudes varying, different political parties in Taiwan may have various opinions on the South China Sea disputes, based on their own interests.

The ruling party, the Kuomintang, may aim for achievements in the South China Sea issue on the international stage given permissive condition. So there's a possibility for the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang to collaborate on this issue in the future. However, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) might not be willing to see this change.

Tighter cooperation across the Straits may lead to the DPP's declining popularity. In addition, if the CPC and Kuomintang are able to make rapid progress on the South China Sea issue, the opportunity and space for the DPP to bring in new policies and concepts in the same issue will be reduced.

Chinese mainland should take a leading role to promote cooperation across the Straits on the South China Sea issue. Though political cooperation on the South China Sea issue is temporarily impossible, economic and academic cooperation should be encouraged anyway.

The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Fu Qiang based on an interview with Liu Fu-Kuo, researcher of the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University, Taiwan. fuqiang@globaltimes.com.cn