Philippines accuses China of intruding into its maritime jurisdiction

[News_Editor]

Philippines accuses China of intruding into its maritime jurisdiction

2012-01-09 01:11:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

MANILA (BNO NEWS) -- The Philippines has accused China of intruding into its maritime jurisdiction after three Chinese vessels were spotted in the disputed South China Sea last month, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

Philippine officials claimed that the presence on December 11 and December 12 of two Chinese vessels and a ship belonging to the Chinese Navy violates multiple agreements between several nations, including a 2002 agreement and a United Nations (UN) agreement.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the ships were spotted in the vicinity of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, which is located about 123.6 nautical miles (228.9 kilometers) from the Philippine island of Palawan. He claimed the area is within "Philippine sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction."

"These intrusions of the Chinese are clear violations of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea as well as the provision of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," Del Rosario said, adding that the department convoyed its 'serious concern' to the Chinese government earlier this week.

Different parts of the South China Sea, many of them overlapping, are being claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. China claims the larger part of the mineral-rich region, which is also a shipping route that has long been fought over.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-09

[koheesti]

Take note those of you who believe China has no desire to expand its control over additional territory.

[maidu]

If you look at Chinese borders - east, west, north and south, .....you'll see border disputes with neighboring countries. The South Chinese Sea is not even bordering China. Indeed, the disputed Spratly Islands (which China lays claim to) are twice as far from China than they are from the 4 to 5 other countries which lay claim to them. Best would be an agreement & declaration among all the contenders - to instate the Spratlys as an 'International Marine Reserve', but Asians don't think in such ways. Indeed, of the 18 jointly administered 'World Heritage Sites' worldwide, not one is in Asia.

[EvilDrSomkid]

China does not lay claim to the Spratlys or the Paracell islands based on proximity, but based on "historical presence" and "records of discovering and using the islands hundreds of years ago"

.

IMO, the PRC's claims to the South China Sea islands, is spurious at best. Nearly all islands lie within the Philippines' 12mile and/or 200mile EEZ.

Some background reading:

http://the-diplomat....-shaped-claims/

http://the-diplomat.com/asean-beat/2011/07/20/negotiating-the-south-china-sea/

Plenty of other articles on that site about this issue.