United States fears clashes in South China Sea - Gates

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) shows the light Blue Dotted line as 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone for the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Blue dotted line includes most part of the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly) of the Philippines. UNCLOS did not show any China’s territory in the West Philippines Sea. The Philippines recorded already 6 invasion by china to the West Philippine Sea As of June 3, 2011.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Saturday that clashes may erupt in the South China Sea unless nations with conflicting territorial claims adopt a mechanism to settle disputes peacefully.

“There are increasing concerns. I think we should not lose any time in trying to strengthen these mechanisms that I’ve been talking about for dealing with competing claims in the South China Sea,” he said.

“I fear that without rules of the road, without agreed approaches to deal with these problems, that there will be clashes. I think that serves nobody’s interests,” Gates told a security conference in Singapore, before flying to Kabul.

The islands at the center of the long-running dispute are the Paracel archipelago and the more southerly Spratlys, both potentially resource-rich outcrops that straddle strategic shipping lanes.

China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have laid claim to overlapping sections of the territories.

Gates called on the countries involved to build on a 2002 agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China setting a “code of conduct” aimed at resolving disputes peacefully.

Diplomatic tensions have risen in recent weeks following allegations of increased Chinese activity in the area.

On Friday, President Benigno Aquino said the country had documented up to seven incidents in less than four months in which China trespassed into what Manila considers its territorial waters.

One of the incidents involved a Chinese vessel allegedly opening fire on Filipino fishermen, he added.

In May, Chinese maritime ships confronted a Vietnamese oil exploration vessel between the Paracels and the Spratlys.

Hanoi also reported that Chinese ships fired warning shots at Vietnamese fishermen near the Spratly islands last Wednesday, which the Chinese foreign ministry has denied.

“As far as I know, the relevant reports are purely without foundation. China is dedicated to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea,” spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement.

“China wishes to work with relevant countries to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.”

 

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The Philippines Starts - Online Protest Against China's Invasion in Spratlys of the Philippines Waters

While the Malacañang Palace Manila said that preparations are underway for the Philippines’ protest before the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Spratlys issues, the online protest headed by young Filipino Netizens is already started today June 4, 2011.

Filipinos are aware of the laws in UNLCOS and Filipinos are confident that the UNCLOS will listen in their protest as it is the law of the sea formulated by the United Nations. The 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone is stressed in the protest that china must obey the law of the United Nations.

Filipinos are fighting for their territory as it is under the Philippine water where most of the Islands of the Spratly are located.

Other group of Filipinos want to ask the government to issue an order to drive away all countries invading the island within the Philippine territory of 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone by the UNCLOS.

Online Protest stressed the message below as shown in the site http://spratly.highkot.com/

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WE FILIPINOS AROUND THE WORLD DENOUNCED THE INVASION OF CHINA IN OUR PHILIPPINE WATERS IN THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA. WE CALL THE UNCLOS TO ACT OF THIS CHINA’S BELLIGERENCE IN OUR COUNTRY. WE CALL THE UNCLOS TO CONDEMN CHINA’S AGGRESSION

Our Spratly Islands – ( Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), of the Republic of the Philippines is harmed by China . It is in the our West Philippine Sea, within the Philippine waters of the UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS) - 200 Nautical Mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic.

• We condemn the chinas’s abuse of power in Asia.

• We denounce the china’s invasion to the Philippine waters

• We criticize the china’s firing of the Filipino Fishermen in the Philippines waters

• We call the UNCLOS to CONDEMN china for their illegal excursion to the Philippine territory

• We call UNCLOS to act on china’s violation of 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea

• We call the united nation to CONDEMN china’s triggering tension in the ASEAN Nation.

WE FILIPINOS AROUND THE WORLD ARE PEACE LOVING PEOPLE AND WE DENOUNCED CHINAS AGGRESSION TO OUR PHILIPPINE TERRITORY

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Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government is preparing what it can present to the UNCLOS.

“We will prepare accordingly and we hope for the best and again, we prepare for the worst,” she said. “We reiterate our commitment to resolve the dispute peacefully.”

Valte said that President Aquino has always pushed for a “diplomatic resolution of any conflict that will arise in connection with the West Philippine Sea.”

“We wish to stress that the way we are approaching these incidents is that we are fully committed to resolving it in a very diplomatic manner and a peaceful manner as well,” she said.

Malacanang has said that the new construction by China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is a “cause for concern”

The DFA had requested clarification from the Chinese Embassy on the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance (CMS) vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships at the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea. These ships reportedly unloaded building materials, erected an undetermined number of posts, and placed a buoy near the breaker of the Amy Douglas Bank.

The Amy Douglas Bank is located southwest of Recto (Reed) Bank and east of Patag (Flat) Island and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). There are currently no structures on the said bank and the latter is unoccupied, according to a DFA statement.

The posts and buoy placed by the Chinese at the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank, however, are about 26 nautical mile east of Patag Island and 125 nautical mile from mainland Palawan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Amy Douglas Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

It will be recalled that during the dialogue between President Aquino and Chinese Defense Minister Liang in May, an agreement was forged between China and the Philippines to continue engaging in dialogue towards an amicable settlement on the disputed Spratly islands.

Both parties also agreed that the best way to solve the issue is to continue to engage into dialogue, not just between China and the Philippines, but also other countries that are claimants to the Spratlys.

 

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China Building in West Philippine Sea; DFA summons envoy

Reed Bank

West Philippines Sea

Province of Palawan, Philippines

 

Philippines: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned last Tuesday (May 31, 2011) the Chinese charge d’affaires to protest sightings of Chinese Navy vessels erecting posts at the West Philippine Sea.

Citing reports from the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the DFA requested clarification from Bai Tian, charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Manila, regarding the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance vessel and other People‘s Liberation Army Navy ships in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

“These ships reportedly unloaded building materials, erected an undetermined number of posts, and placed a buoy near the breaker of the Iroquois Bank,” the DFA said in a statement.

“The Iroquois Bank is located southwest of the Recto Bank (Reed Bank) and east of Patag Island (Flat Island) and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone. There are currently no structures on the said bank and the latter is unoccupied,” the DFA added.

The DFA said the posts and buoy placed by the Chinese in the vicinity of Iroquois Bank are about 26 nautical miles east of Patag Island and 125 nautical miles from mainland Palawan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Iroquois Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

ASEAN members and China signed the DOC, a basic fundamental pillar of cooperation designed to reduce tensions, peacefully resolve claims over the South China Sea and improve the general political climate in the disputed islands.

A provision in the DOC states that “the parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

The DFA Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs conveyed to Bai its serious concerns over recent actions of China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on May 31 and sought Beijing’s explanation on the incident.

The Chinese embassy said Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao was out of the country and would return in a few days.

The summoning of the Chinese embassy officials followed a meeting held last May 27, where the DFA also conveyed its concern to the Chinese over reports in Chinese state media about China’s planned installation of its most advanced oil rig in the South China Sea this coming July.

During the May 27 meeting, the DFA asked the Chinese embassy for the exact planned location of the mega oil rig and pointed out that it should not be placed in Philippine territory or its waters.

In both meetings, the Philippines and China reiterated their respective commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in the area, and to work together to maintain good bilateral relations.

“The Philippines recognizes that critical to the peace and stability of the West Philippine Sea is the full and faithful implementation of the ASEAN-China DOC on the South China Sea. The Philippines also believes that it is in the best interest of all claimant countries and the region to transform the area into a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation through sustained consultations and dialogue,” the DFA said.

The Zone of Peace provides a framework for segregating the disputed territorial features, which may be considered for collaborative activities, from the non-disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The Philippines is also committed to cooperating closely and actively with ASEAN and China in finding peaceful solutions to attain this goal,” the DFA said.

The STAR could not reach Sun Yi, Deputy Chief of Political Section and spokesman of the Chinese embassy, for comment.

China earlier said it was ready for an “accelerated” dialogue with the Philippines to end the dispute in the South China Sea but Beijing neither confirmed nor denied setting up military garrisons and outposts within Philippine-claimed territory in the Spratly Islands.

Sun Yi had earlier said that the Philippines and China agreed to an accelerated dialogue during discussions of Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie with Philippine officials when he visited Manila recently.

Although Sun did not confirm or deny the report about military garrisons and outposts set up by China within Philippine-claimed territory in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, he said Beijing upholds the DOC.

A senior foreign affairs official earlier said that lodging a diplomatic protest against China after its fighter jets reportedly buzzed two Philippine Air Force planes on a reconnaissance mission in the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys was not yet “opportune“ since validation of the reported incident was still underway

 

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China Violated 2002 ASEAN Declaration of Conduct by Constructing Posts in the Reedbank, Near Spratly Philippines

Reed Bank

West Philippines Sea

Province of Palawan, Philippines

 

Philippines: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned last Tuesday (May 31, 2011) the Chinese charge d’affaires to protest sightings of Chinese Navy vessels erecting posts at the West Philippine Sea.

Citing reports from the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the DFA requested clarification from Bai Tian, charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Manila, regarding the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance vessel and other People‘s Liberation Army Navy ships in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

“These ships reportedly unloaded building materials, erected an undetermined number of posts, and placed a buoy near the breaker of the Iroquois Bank,” the DFA said in a statement.

“The Iroquois Bank is located southwest of the Recto Bank (Reed Bank) and east of Patag Island (Flat Island) and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone. There are currently no structures on the said bank and the latter is unoccupied,” the DFA added.

The DFA said the posts and buoy placed by the Chinese in the vicinity of Iroquois Bank are about 26 nautical miles east of Patag Island and 125 nautical miles from mainland Palawan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Iroquois Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

ASEAN members and China signed the DOC, a basic fundamental pillar of cooperation designed to reduce tensions, peacefully resolve claims over the South China Sea and improve the general political climate in the disputed islands.

A provision in the DOC states that “the parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

The DFA Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs conveyed to Bai its serious concerns over recent actions of China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on May 31 and sought Beijing’s explanation on the incident.

The Chinese embassy said Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao was out of the country and would return in a few days.

The summoning of the Chinese embassy officials followed a meeting held last May 27, where the DFA also conveyed its concern to the Chinese over reports in Chinese state media about China’s planned installation of its most advanced oil rig in the South China Sea this coming July.

During the May 27 meeting, the DFA asked the Chinese embassy for the exact planned location of the mega oil rig and pointed out that it should not be placed in Philippine territory or its waters.

In both meetings, the Philippines and China reiterated their respective commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in the area, and to work together to maintain good bilateral relations.

“The Philippines recognizes that critical to the peace and stability of the West Philippine Sea is the full and faithful implementation of the ASEAN-China DOC on the South China Sea. The Philippines also believes that it is in the best interest of all claimant countries and the region to transform the area into a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation through sustained consultations and dialogue,” the DFA said.

The Zone of Peace provides a framework for segregating the disputed territorial features, which may be considered for collaborative activities, from the non-disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The Philippines is also committed to cooperating closely and actively with ASEAN and China in finding peaceful solutions to attain this goal,” the DFA said.

The STAR could not reach Sun Yi, Deputy Chief of Political Section and spokesman of the Chinese embassy, for comment.

China earlier said it was ready for an “accelerated” dialogue with the Philippines to end the dispute in the South China Sea but Beijing neither confirmed nor denied setting up military garrisons and outposts within Philippine-claimed territory in the Spratly Islands.

Sun Yi had earlier said that the Philippines and China agreed to an accelerated dialogue during discussions of Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie with Philippine officials when he visited Manila recently.

Although Sun did not confirm or deny the report about military garrisons and outposts set up by China within Philippine-claimed territory in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, he said Beijing upholds the DOC.

A senior foreign affairs official earlier said that lodging a diplomatic protest against China after its fighter jets reportedly buzzed two Philippine Air Force planes on a reconnaissance mission in the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys was not yet “opportune“ since validation of the reported incident was still underway

 

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