Taiwan considers stationing armed ships in Spratlys

PFG-2 Cheng Kung Class Frigates - Naval Technology

Taiwan considers permanent armed ships for disputed South China Sea island

TAIPEI (REUTERS) - Taiwan is considering stationing armed vessels permanently on a disputed South China Sea island, officials said, a move bound to renew friction in a region claimed almost wholly by China, with Vietnam already dismissing such a plan as "illegal".
The potentially energy-rich Spratly islands are one of the main flashpoints in the South China Sea, with claims also from Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, and are closely watched by the United States after China placed a giant oil rig in nearby waters also claimed by Vietnam.
Itu Aba, also known as Tai Ping, is the only island in the Spratlys large enough to accommodate a port - currently under construction. Taiwan had previously said the port, expected to be completed in late 2015, would allow 3,000-tonne naval frigates and coastguard cutters to dock there.
- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/asia-report/south-china-sea/story/taiwan-considers-permanent-armed-ships-disputed-sout#sthash.eiVJluC2.dpuf

TAIPEI (REUTERS) - Taiwan is considering stationing armed vessels permanently on a disputed South China Sea island, officials said, a move bound to renew friction in a region claimed almost wholly by China, with Vietnam already dismissing such a plan as "illegal".

The potentially energy-rich Spratly islands are one of the main flashpoints in the South China Sea, with claims also from Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, and are closely watched by the United States after China placed a giant oil rig in nearby waters also claimed by Vietnam.

Itu Aba (Tai Ping) Island

Itu Aba, also known as Tai Ping, is the only island in the Spratlys large enough to accommodate a port - currently under construction. Taiwan had previously said the port, expected to be completed in late 2015, would allow 3,000-tonne naval frigates and coastguard cutters to dock there.

Spratlys and Environs

Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba Island and by various other names, is the largest of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea,^[1] and the only one where fresh water is available.^[2] The island is elliptical in shape being 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) in length and 0.4 kilometres (0.25 mi) in width, with an area of 46 hectares (110 acres). It is part of the Tizard Bank (Zheng He Reefs; 鄭和群礁), and is one of the seven reefs of the Spratly Islands.^[3] The Taiping Island Airport is the most prominent artificial feature on the island.
The island is administered by the Republic of China on Taiwan, as part of Cijin, Kaohsiung. It is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Philippines and Vietnam. The distance from Kaohsiung to Taiping Island is about 1,600 km (990 mi). The nearby Zhongzhou Reef is also under the control of the ROC.