Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Minister Kuan Bi-ling visited Itu Aba and the nearby uninhabited Zhongzhou Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands to lead a beach cleanup and observe Coast Guard operations. She posted photos from Zhongzhou and said Vietnam lodged a complaint, which Taipei described as no stronger than usual. Kuan emphasized Taiwan would not back down in defending its sovereignty while characterizing the mission as environmental and humanitarian. Itu Aba has a runway and a new wharf (opened in 2023) that can handle 4,000-ton vessels, though it remains lightly defended compared to nearby Chinese-held features.
Taiwan Minister Visits Itu Aba and Zhongzhou Reef, Says Environmental Mission Won't Spark Regional Tensions
FILE PHOTO: File Photo: Kuan Bi-ling, minister of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard Administration, speaks during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, April 2, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo/File Photo
TAIPEI — Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling said on Wednesday that she visited two Taiwan-held features deep inside the disputed South China Sea — Itu Aba and the nearby uninhabited Zhongzhou Reef — describing the trip as an environmental and humanitarian mission that would not inflame regional tensions.
Writing on her Facebook page, Kuan said she took part in a beach cleanup on Zhongzhou and used the visit to observe the day-to-day operations of Coast Guard personnel stationed in the Spratly Islands (referred to by Taiwan and China as the Nansha islands). She posted two photos from Zhongzhou showing her and members of her team; in one image a staffer carried a large Taiwan flag.
"There, I personally witnessed marine debris that had drifted in from surrounding countries and gained a deeper appreciation for the day-to-day life of our Coast Guard personnel stationed in the Nansha islands," Kuan wrote. She later told reporters in parliament: "In the defence of sovereignty of course there is absolutely no backing down."
Diplomatic Reaction
Kuan said Vietnam lodged a complaint over the visit — the first time in seven years that a Taiwanese minister has traveled to Taiwan's holdings in the Spratly chain — but added that the protest "has not been notably more forceful than usual." She reiterated on Facebook: "Our exercise has not caused, nor will it cause, any regional tension." Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Strategic Context
Itu Aba (also called Taiping Island) is Taiwan's largest feature in the Spratlys and has a runway capable of receiving military resupply flights. In 2023 Taiwan opened a new wharf on Itu Aba that can accommodate patrol ships up to about 4,000 tons. Despite those facilities, Itu Aba and nearby Zhongzhou are lightly defended compared with some Chinese-held islands in the area, and Chinese forces generally have not interfered with operations on these two features.
The visit and its framing as environmental and humanitarian reflect a common approach by Taipei to assert presence without escalating military confrontation, even as Taipei, Beijing and Hanoi maintain overlapping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
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