Taiwan stakes disputed isle
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TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Taiwan’s president inaugurated a runway on a disputed island in the South China Sea, sparking a protest from the Philippines, which also claims sovereignty over the isle.
Chen Shui-bian, the first Taiwanese president to visit Taiping island in the Spratly chain, which is located about 1,000 miles south of Taiwan, also met with troops there during his brief visit Saturday, said his spokesman.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo called Chen’s visit “lamentable.”
The Spratly Islands consist of about 100 barren but oil-rich islets, reefs and atolls. Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei each claim all or part of the chain.
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