Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou paid a visit on Thursday to Taiping Island, the largest island of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

In a speech to people living on the island, Ma said the sovereignty of the Nansha, Xisha, Zhongsha, Dongshan islands and surrounding waters is beyond doubt, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Ma said that Taiwan will work to end disputes, pursue peace and promote joint development in the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday that the Nansha Islands have been China's territory since ancient times, and people across the Straits have the responsibility to protect the heritage of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese government has always been committed to building the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, and will continue to maintain freedom of navigation in the area and protect its peaceful development, Hua said.

Islands in the South China Sea were first discovered, named and used by the Chinese in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), Ma said. They were incorporated into the maritime defense system in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and have been inspected and managed since then, Ma said.

The Taiping Island will be built into a maritime rescue hub and an environmentally friendly area, Ma said.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a regular news briefing on Wednesday that China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands.

Both sides across the Straits have the responsibility to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and safeguarding the overall interests of the Chinese nation, Ma said.

pengyining@chinadaily.com.cn