TAIWAN SENDS FIRST AIRCRAFT TO SPRATLYS

Taiwan dispatched a C-130 cargo plane in a much-disputed Spratly islands.

There is no clear reason for the mission.

But it seems the move of the Taiwanese government draws mixed reactions especially from neighboring countries which also claims parts of Spratlys.

The Taiwanese military aircraft landed on Taiping islet, the biggest island in Spratlys, Monday but returned to Taiwan later that day.

Also, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-Bian reportedly plans a visit to the disputed archipelago before the March presidential election.

Taiwan is one of the five Asian countries [others were China, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam] which lays claim to the potentially oil-rich Spratlys.