Taiwan has announced that its plans to conduct rescue drills near its sole territorial holding in the disputed South China Sea by end of this month. The operation would be first big operation by Taipei in the disputed maritime territory since the pro-independent leader Tsai Ing-wen assumed office earlier this year.

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Taiwan insisted that the operation near Itu Aba, also known as Taiping Island, would be humanitarian and non-military in nature. However, it did not rule out the role of navy in the drills.

 "Currently the navy regularly patrols near Taiping Island. We don't rule out the navy playing a supporting role in future humanitarian rescue drills being held near Taiping," Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration said in statement.

The statement that was posted on its official website further said that the exercise would focus on rescuing shipwrecked personnel, while adding that further details about the drills would be released later.

The operation comes months after the international tribunal court's historic ruling on the South China Sea in July. The verdict, which ruled out China's historical claim over the disputed maritime territory, referred Itu Aba as "rock" and "not an island," thereby making it ineligible for Taiwan to own a greater economic zone of resources off its coast.

China and Taiwan subsequently rejected the verdict, with Beijing calling it as a major ploy by western forces to undermine its control over the disputed maritime territory.

Beijing has so far not issued any statement on Taipei's plan to conduct a drill. The exercise, however, is unlikely to cause any fresh tension in the region, given that the drill has been described as a "rescue operation" and also the US as well as main claimants are not participating in the drill.

South China Sea frequently witnesses military operations mostly carried out by several claimants. China and the US have been at the forefront of carrying such operations, mainly to assert their claim over the disputed maritime territory.

Although the US is not a party to the dispute, it has been carrying out the "freedom of navigation" operation for over a year on behalf of China's rival claimants, including Taiwan and other smaller countries in the region.         

TagsTaiwan, South China Sea Dispute, Itu Aba, China and Taiwan