[ad_1]
KAGITINGAN REEF. This satellite image from January 1, 2018 shows the Kagitingan Reef (Fiery Cross Reef) in the Western Philippine Sea. Photo courtesy of CSIS / AMTI / DigitalGlobe
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government launched a strong protest against China on Thursday April 30 following its recent appointment of maritime districts and features in the Western Philippine Sea, affirming the 2016 Hague ruling that invalidated Beijing’s excessive claims in the waterway.
Calling these actions a violation of Philippine sovereignty, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it did not recognize the Chinese city of Sansha, which includes the new districts of the South China Sea, nor the names given to some characteristics of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).
“The Philippine government is vigorously protesting the establishment of the so-called ‘Nansha’ and ‘Xisha’ districts under the alleged administrative jurisdiction of its self-declared ‘City of Sansha’,” the DFA said in a statement on Thursday.
“The Philippines is also opposed and does not recognize the Chinese names given to some characteristics in the Kalayaan Island Group,” he added.
What did China do? On April 18, China announced that it created two new districts in the South China Sea, which included the Paracel group of islands near Vietnam and the Spratly group of islands in the Western Philippine Sea. Beijing said the new districts were brought under the control of the Chinese city of Sansha in Hainan province.
This was followed by the appointment of 80 maritime features in the South China Sea, some of which were submerged in water. The measure was seen as a violation of international law and aggravated tensions in the volatile region.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr previously said the creation of districts in China was the subject of an earlier protest by the Philippines when Beijing erroneously declared that the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and the Lower Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal ) were part of the Chinese territory.
The DFA reiterated on Thursday that the Philippines has protested since 2012, the “illegal establishment of the city of Sansha in China”, as well as its jurisdiction covering the Philippine territory and sea areas in the Western Philippine Sea.
“(The Philippines) does not recognize Sansha, nor its constituent units, nor the subsequent acts emanating from them,” DFA said.
Part of the appointment of new districts in China included the designation of Kagitingan Reef in the KIG as the administrative center of the “Nansha (Spratlys) district”
The DFA rejected this, calling it an “illegal” act. He stated that the Kagitingan Reef, which is within the Kalayaan Island Group, is an “integral part” of the Philippine territory.
“The establishment and alleged extension of the jurisdiction of the ‘Sansha City’ of which the two new districts are a part, violates the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines over the Kalayaan Island Group and Lower Masinloc, and infringes on sovereign rights of the Philippines on the waters and the continental shelf in the Philippine Sea, “he added.
Claiming a victory. In objecting to China’s claims, the Philippines cited the 2016 Hague ruling that the Philippines won against China, which President Rodrigo Duterte has neglected in pursuit of broader political and economic relations with Beijing.
In doing so, the DFA said that the “unanimous award issued by the Tribunal constituted in accordance with Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the arbitration instituted by the Philippines, has comprehensively addressed the China’s excessive claims and illegal actions in the South China Sea. “
The Philippines called on China to respect international law, including the UNCLOS and Association of Southeast Asian Nations Declaration of Conduct, which urged the parties to exercise restraint in activities that “would complicate or intensify disputes and affect peace and stability”.
China’s efforts to seize control of the South China Sea come as countries struggle to contain the coronavirus outbreak, which spread from the Chinese city of Wuhan. Like the Philippines, Vietnam and the United States have condensed Beijing’s actions. – Rappler.com
[ad_2]
