Taiwan's tropical power struggle in the South China Sea

They also invited visitors to sample the water drawn from one of the island's fresh water wells.

Taiping "is blessed with an abundance of high-quality freshwater," President Ma later explained. He invited representatives from the Philippines and judges from the Court of Arbitration to visit the island.

The leader argued that if Taiping officially won the designation of being an island, Taiwan could theoretically argue for fishing rights as well as permission to explore for minerals in the seabed in a huge 200 nautical mile [230 mile, 370 km] economic exclusion zone surrounding it.

Taiwan's goal, Ma said, is to transform Taiping into "an island for peace and rescue operations."

But the tiny island's palm tree-lined beaches also bristle with concrete military bunkers, anti-aircraft guns and helmeted, uniformed guards.

What should be a remote tropical paradise is instead part of a much larger power struggle over the future of the South China Sea.