by Admin | Jun 9, 2014 | News
(BGF) – In a commentary issued by Chinese People’s Daily, it accused the Philippines of making the Association of Southeast Asian Nations an “accomplice” in the “violation” of China’s “sovereignty” over some islets and shoals in the West Philippine Sea; “illegal occupation” of the Kalayaan Island Group, inviting foreign companies to engage in oil and gas development in the disputed waters and internationalizing the territorial conflict. China also threaten the Philippines by saying that “a counterstrike will be hard to avoid.”
The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs official called China to be “responsible member in the community of nations”. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin also advised Beijing to be more cautious and not to use “intimidation and coercion” in settling disputes with the Philippines and its neighbors, as Jaime Laude for the Philippine Star reported.
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Gazmin on China threat: Irresponsible
July 2, 2013 | By Jaime Laude
MANILA, Philippines – Beijing was being “irresponsible” by threatening a “counterstrike” in response to the Philippines’ offering its allies access to its air and naval facilities, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said yesterday.
Gazmin said that while he is not worried about China’s threat, he is exhorting Beijing to be more circumspect and not to resort to intimidation and coercion in settling disputes with the Philippines and its neighbors.
Gazmin issued the statement shortly before flying to Clark air base to attend the celebration of the 66th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force.
On Saturday, the People’s Daily – the mouthpiece of the ruling Chinese Communist Party – said the Philippines was inviting a counterstrike for “provoking” Beijing.
In a commentary, the newspaper also accused the Philippines of making the Association of Southeast Asian Nations an “accomplice” in the “violation” of China’s “sovereignty” over some islets and shoals in the West Philippine Sea.
Gazmin said he agrees with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario’s reprimanding Beijing and reminding it of the preeminence of international law in settling issues.
Del Rosario had also said China’s provocative statement had no place among civilized nations.
DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said China is obliged under international laws, specifically the United Nations Charter, “to pursue a peaceful resolution of disputes – meaning without the use of force or the threat to use force.”
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by Admin | Jun 9, 2014 | News
(BGF) – The Philippine Star reported on May 22 that the Philippines called on China to respect the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines over its continental shelf, including the waters around the Ayungin shoal after detecting Chinese fishing vessels encroached in its exclusive economic zone, and escorted by a naval ship.
The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest with the Chinese embassy in Manila on the provocative and illegal presence of Chinese government ships (two CMS and one warship) around Ayungin Shoal.
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China sends ships to another Phl shoal
May 22, 2013 | By Pia Lee-Brago and Alexis Romero
(Photo Credit: the Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has filed a protest against what it describes as the “provocative and illegal” deployment of Chinese ships around Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group off Palawan.
“On May 10, 2013, we filed with the Chinese embassy in Manila our protest on the provocative and illegal presence of Chinese government ships (two CMS and one warship) around Ayungin Shoal,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said yesterday.
Hernandez said Ayungin Shoal is an integral part of the Philippine national territory. It is located 105.77 nautical miles from Palawan and constitutes part of the 200 nautical miles of the Philippine continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“We have already told them our position regarding these vessels which have intruded in our exclusive economic zone,” Hernandez said.
The Philippines called on China to respect the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines over its continental shelf, including the waters around the shoal.
“China’s interference with the sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea is a violation of international law particularly UNCLOS, the United Nations Charter and the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea),” Hernandez said.
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by Admin | Jun 9, 2014 | News
(BGF) – The Philippines’ Deputy Director-General of the National Security Council Secretariat said about 18 Chinese maritime surveillance ships operating in the Philippines area, which raises the need to pour more resources into the budget for defense spending, as Alexis Remero reported for the Philippine Star.
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18 Chinese maritime ships operating within Philippine territory
June 13, 2013 | by Alexis Remero
(Photo Credit: the Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines – About 18 Chinese vessels are intruding into Philippine territory, raising the need to pour more resources to defense spending, a security official said Thursday.
Vicente Agdamag, Deputy Director-General of the National Security Council Secretariat, said the deployment of the ships is in line with China’s aim to consolidate its control over the West Philippine Sea.
“Right now, there are 18 maritime surveillance ships operating in our area,” Agdamag said during the Air Force’s Air Power Symposium 2013 in Pasay City.
Agdamag did not say what types of ships were deployed and where they are located. He, however, enumerated incidents showcasing China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea.
These include the imposition by China of an “exclusion zone” in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, which is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
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The shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, is 124 nautical miles from the nearest point in Zambales province.
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by Admin | Jun 9, 2014 | News
(BGF) – Tensions escalated as China enforced a new regulation requiring foreign fishermen to obtain Beijing’s permission before operating in South China Sea, particularly on waters close to China that are also claimed by Vietnam. Hanoi reacted, and insisted its claim that ” any foreign activities not approved by Vietnam in this area are illegal and invalid.” The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said this development “threaten the peace and stability of the region”, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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China Sea Rules to Raise Tensions With Vietnam
Jan. 10, 2014 | By Brian Spegele in Beijing
(The Wall Street Journal) —Enforcement of China’s new regulation requiring foreign fishermen to obtain Beijing’s consent before operating in the disputed South China Sea will focus on waters close to China that are also claimed by Vietnam, an official said, potentially setting China on a collision course with Hanoi.
(Photo Credit: Tuoi tre Newspaper)
The regulation, which was enacted by China’s island province of Hainan on Jan. 1, is the latest effort by Beijing to bolster territorial claims and is adding to tensions over contested islets, freedom of navigation and rights to fisheries and other resources in a sea vital to world trade. The Philippines and Vietnam this week criticized the measure, as has the U.S. State Department, which called it “provocative and potentially dangerous.”
In recent months, China has stepped up muscle-flexing over its territorial claims, declaring an air-control zone over the East China Sea that aggravated a dispute with Japan and challenged a fledgling thaw with South Korea. The latest moves in the South China Sea increases prospects for further standoffs with its southern neighbors.
Wu Shicun, a delegate to Hainan’s legislature and former head of the province’s foreign-affairs office, said Friday that the measure in principle applied to China’s entire territorial claim in the South China Sea, which extends to near the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia.
In practice, however, Mr. Wu said that Chinese enforcement would focus on policing the waters near the Paracel Islands, just south of Hainan, and not farther away. Mr. Wu said punishments—likely including fines and the seizure of catches—would be strengthened against fishermen who entered the area without permission. He said Vietnam has been encouraging its fishermen to enter the area.
“The goal is to make them not dare to come back,” said Mr. Wu, who is also president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. “If you violate the rules, you will pay a high price.” He said the U.S. had grown too worked up about the new measure, which he said was aimed at better regulating the fishing industry.
China has exercised de facto control of the Paracels after ousting Vietnam in a naval battle in 1974 and has since built up a sizable government and military presence.
Hanoi hasn’t relinquished its claim. Luong Thanh Nghi, spokesman for Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry, reiterated Friday that Vietnam had “indisputable sovereignty” over the Paracels and Spratlys, another island group farther to the south, claimed in part or full also by China, the Philippines and others. “Any foreign activities not approved by Vietnam in this area are illegal and invalid,” he said, in response to a media query.
Other South China Sea claimants include Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Verbal sparring and outright confrontations have been on the rise in recent years as a more powerful China asserts claims it has long made on paper and as other countries resist. In March, Vietnam accused China of firing on a Vietnamese fishing boat operating near the Paracels. China’s Defense Ministry later said Chinese sailors fired two flares as a warning and hadn’t attacked the Vietnamese.
On Friday, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said it was “gravely concerned” by the new regulation. “This development escalates tensions, unnecessarily complicates the situation in the South China Sea, and threatens the peace and stability of the region,” the statement read.
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by Admin | Jun 9, 2014 | News
(BGF) – In a response to China’s controversial claims over Paracel and Spratly Islands, Thang Tran, President of The Institute for Vietnamese Culture & Education (U.S) announced that he has a collection of 150 maps that were published in England, America, France, Germany, Scotland, etc. for 400 year during 1626- 2008, in which shows that the Paracel Islands belong to Vietnam.
Mr Tran said the map dimensions vary from 8” x 10” (20cm x 25cm) to 24” x 30” (60cm x 75cm). In the collection, 80 maps indicate that south of China is Hainan Island and 50 maps show that the Paracel Islands belong to Vietnam.
He shared on his websites that he found two atlases of the Republic of China published by the Republic of China’s Ministry of Transportation in 1919 & 1933 and one Atlas of The Chinese Empire published by the China Inland Mission in 1908. The atlas edition in 1908 contains 23 maps; the atlas edition in 1919 contains 49 maps; the atlas edition in 1933 contains 29 maps. The dimensions of the atlas edition in 1919 & 1933 books are 62cm x 38cm x 4cm. All three books do not list the Paracel and Spratly Islands on the map and index page.
Recently, China established a local government and military base on Woody Island, part of the Spratly Islands. Vietnam claims its sovereignty over the Woody Islands.
He donated his entire map collection to the Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic Development for their research on the Paracel and Spratly Islands.
