Taiwan to mark 70th anniversary of recovery of Taiping Island

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will attend the opening on Friday of an exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the recovery of the Republic of China's control over Taiping Island in the South China Sea, during which she will also videoconference with the commander on the island.

Entitled "Sustainable Governance and Enduring Peace: An Exhibition Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Recovery of the South China Sea Islands," the exhibition will run until Dec. 19 at Academia Historica, which is co-organizing the event with the Ministry of the Interior.

The president will give a speech at the opening and also talk to the commander of Taiping Island, the organizers said.

The exhibition will cover the history, strategic location and sustainable development of Taiping, showcasing historical documents, artifacts, photographs and videos, the organizers said.

According to the ministry, two military vessels carrying officials from the interior and national defense ministries, Navy officers and meteorological personnel arrived on Taiping on Dec. 12, 1946, marking the Republic of China's reclaiming of sovereignty over the island, the largest islet in the Spratly Islands.

Since then, the ROC has built infrastructure on the island, the ministry said.

The South China Sea is a disputed region, with six countries -- Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- claiming part or all of the islands in the resource-rich region and their surrounding waters.

(By Sophia Yeh and Elaine Hou)ENDITEM/AW