Taipei  - Taiwan Defence Minister Tsai Ming-hsien has postponed a controversial visit this week to the Spratly Islands because of bad weather, the military said Monday.

Whether the visit to Taiping Island, the islet controlled by Taiwan troops, would go ahead next week would also depend on the weather, Tsai's deputy, Lin Chen-yi, told parliament.

Taiwan media said last week that Tsai planned to lead a group of parliamentarians to inspect the islet Wednesday. The press questioned the necessity of the trip because Tsai is to step down on May 20 when the new president is inaugurated and the trip was likely to trigger protests from other claimants of the Spratly Islands.

After Tsai's plan to visit Taiping was reported, the Philippines warned Taiwan not to disturb regional stability.

"As much as possible there should be no disturbance," chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol said Sunday. "If there is, it's going to be a big problem to all of us. They should remember that many nations are involved here: Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China, the Philippines."

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's visit to Taiping to launch an airstrip on February 2 triggered protests from Vietnam and the Philippines.

Vietnam, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei each claim all or part of the Spratlys and the nearby Paracels, and all but Brunei have a military presence on one or more of the otherwise uninhabited atolls. The waters around the islands are believed to contain substantial petroleum reserves. (dpa)