Lawmakers set to visit Taiwan-controlled island in S. China Sea this summer

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) A group of lawmakers are set to visit the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Island in the disputed South China Sea this summer. If the trip takes place, it would mark the first trip by Taiwanese lawmakers to the island in eight years.

According to a proposed agenda issued by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Liao Hsien-hsiang (廖先翔), convener of the Internal Administration Committee, the trip is scheduled for July 9 and aims to inspect Coast Guard personnel stationed on the island and facilities at Dongsha National Park.

Based on the itinerary, the delegation will depart from Kaohsiung International Airport in the morning and arrive at Dongsha Airport at approximately 11:30 a.m.

While on the island, the group's first stop will be a photo opportunity at a landmark monument erected by the government in 1989 titled "South China Sea Defense" (南海屏障). Lawmakers will also receive a briefing on the government's latest management efforts on the island.

In the afternoon, the group will visit a water treatment plant and the Dongsha Post Office, followed by a guided tour of Dongsha Wharf and a visit to Dongsha Da Wang Temple, a local religious center.

The itinerary also includes a visit to the Dongsha research station to learn about conservation and management efforts on the island.

The group is scheduled to return to Dongsha Airport at 2 p.m. to board a flight back to Kaohsiung.

The trip is open to members of the Internal Administration Committee only, though it remains unclear how many lawmakers will participate.

The last visit by Taiwanese lawmakers to the island took place on May 24, 2018, and was organized by then-convener of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇).

Dongsha Island, internationally known as Pratas Island, is a small coral atoll administered by Taiwan, though China claims it as part of its broader South China Sea territory.

The island lies about 450 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and is currently staffed by around 300 Coast Guard Administration personnel.

Dongsha is one of two island groups controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea. The other is Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, which lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and is staffed by around 200 Coast Guard personnel.