South China Sea Forum

[bobsm]

Taiwan lawmakers and fishermen head to South China Sea’s Taiping Island to declare sovereignty and fishing rights

Moves come after an international tribunal in the Hague rejected Taipei’s right to an exclusive economic zone around Taiping on July 12

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 20 July, 2016, 12:19pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 20 July, 2016, 12:46pm

Minnie Chan
minnie.chan@scmp.com

Taiwanese lawmakers, fishing flotilla bound for Taiping Island
19 Jul 2016

Twenty Taiwanese lawmakers and fishermen departed for Taiping Island in the South China Sea on Wednesday to declare Taiwan’s sovereignty and fishing rights in the area.

The moves come after an international tribunal in the Hague on July 12 rejected Taipei’s right to an exclusive economic zone around Taiping.

Eight lawmakers from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and opposition Kuomintang (KMT) flew from Pingtung county to Taiping Island to declare Taipei’s sovereignty over the island.

Twelve fishermen set off in a five-boat flotilla at noon on Wednesday from southern Pingtung to Taiping to uphold what they say are Taiwan’s fishing rights to the waters.

The delegation of politicians, led by KMT lawmaker Chiang Chi-chen, boarded a military aircraft from

Pingtung at 7.20am and was expected to land on the island at 10.50 am, the official China News Agency said.

Chiang criticised Taiwan’s government for not taking substantial action to defend the island’s sovereignty in the region.

During the visit the lawmakers would visit the military facilities on the island, as well as its weather station and solar power and satellite equipment, before returning to Pingtung at 1.10 pm, the agency said.

Ten fishing boats from Pingtung had originally planned to take part in the action, but five of them dropped out after receiving warnings from fishery authorities, organisers said.

Cheng Chun-chung, the fishing boat owner who initiated the action, said he had been told by a fisheries official in Taiwan that he would have his boat licence revoked if he sailed to the island, because his vessel was permitted to sail only between Taiwan, the mainland and Hong Kong.

However, Cheng said he would not back down – even at the risk of having his licence revoked. Organisers received a box of clothes and hats bearing the Republic of China flag design from a supporter in Taichung, who urged the fishermen to wear them.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled on July 12 that all high-tide features in the South China Sea, including Itu Aba, known as Taiping in Chinese, were rocks rather than islands and therefore were not entitled to 200-nautical-mile economic zones under international law.

An island is entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, while “rocks” are permitted to have only a 12-nautical-mile zone.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and her administration were not a party to the tribunal case, called the ruling unacceptable and said it was not binding on Taiwan.


http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...d-fishermen-head-south-china-seas#add-comment

 

[cnleio]

 

[cochine]

Philippines starts building own multi-mission offshore vessels

January 29, 2016 Gloria Seloza Nation 0



The Philippine government has started building two 50.5-meter Multi-mission Offshore Vessels (MMOV) on January 27, Thursday during the Keel Laying Ceremony for said vessels. The vessels will be assigned to Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR).

The said vessels will be first in their class to be built in the Philippines. Each vessel costs PhP 178.5 Million.

“This momentous event indicates the government’s serious commitment for inclusive growth and poverty alleviation in all sectors, particularly agriculture and fisheries sectors, as we further intensify the country’s stance against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala who was present at the Keel Laying Ceremony with Jose Luis Alano of National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), BFAR Director Asis Perez, and other government officials.

BFAR said the design was created by Incat Crowther, a reputable ship designer based in the United States. The vessels will be built at Josefa Slipways, a medium category local shipyard in Navotas City.

“All plans, drawings, and calculations, meanwhile, are in accordance with the rules of the internationally acclaimed Bureau Veritas Classification Society known for its expertise in Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC),” BFAR said.

The vessel construction became possible through the collaborative efforts of MARINA, DA-BFAR, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy.

BFAR is planning to ask the Congress for additional funds in 2017 for four more Multi-mission Offshore Vessels (MMOV). “We will be asking PhP250 million each [for the next four] so we can attain a faster speed geared for rescue operations,” Perez said.

“These vessels are made in the Philippines, made by Filipino, and funded using our own money, the taxpayers’ money,” the BFAR Director added.

http://www.update.ph/2016/01/philippines-starts-building-own-multi-mission-offshore-vessels/2257

 

[Han Patriot]

Taiwan lawmakers and fishermen head to South China Sea’s Taiping Island to declare sovereignty and fishing rights

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...d-fishermen-head-south-china-seas#add-comment

United we stand. Long live the Chinese Republic! Imagine a united Taiwan, Mainland and HK, we can be a real superpower. Technology, money and military, wake up my Taiwan brethren.

 

[cochine]

New schoolbooks about the Paracel islands

Update: March, 07/2015 - 12:00
Vietnamese school children are going to start learning more about the country's islands that China is illegally occupying. The history of the islands has been written up in special school books. Some of this history will be about the time of the Nguyen Dynasty. The islands always had a lot to do with the city of Da Nang.


image: http://image.vietnamnews.vn/uploadv...p21a.jpg?url=Storage/Images/2015/3/6/p21a.jpg

By the book: The history of Da Nang and its relationship with the Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracel Islands) will be introduced into the curricula at secondary and high schools in the central coastal city this year. - File Photo
HA NOI (VNS) — The history of Da Nang and its relationship with the Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracel Islands) will be introduced into the curricula at secondary and high schools in the central coastal city this year, officials have announced.

About 100,000 school textbooks, divided into two volumes, have been printed and will be distributed in the schools.
The textbooks contain detailed information about the city's seafaring history as also Viet Nam's sovereignty over the islands that are currently illegally occupied by China.

Titled Lich Su Da Nang (Da Nang History), the textbooks also include information on the illegal placement of a Chinese oil rig on the islands and the resulting confrontation.

Nguyen Minh Hung, deputy director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, said the idea for the textbooks was proposed by members of the city legislature, the People's Council, last July.

Hung said that the textbooks would have seven and four lessons respectively for secondary school and high school students.

While the secondary school students will gain general knowledge of the city's development history, including how ancestors established the nation's sovereignty over the region, high school students will acquire intensive information on the Paracel Islands.

They will learn about the historical evidence that clearly prove Viet Nam's sovereignty over the islands, like the maps and documents dating back to the rule of the Nguyen Dynasty in the region (1802 - 1884).

The textbooks will focus in particular on the relationship between the Paracel Islands and Da Nang City.

It is important to compile such textbooks to foster the patriotic spirit among the city's youth, Hung said.

"As citizens of Da Nang, the students must remember and understand the most important historical moments of their hometown; and reinforce their pride and belief in the development of the city to promote the values of our ancestors," he said.

Local educators have welcomed the new textbooks.

"It is a very meaningful and practical way to educate the students about Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Paracel Islands. It is even more important as the islands are under Da Nang's administration," said Huynh Dinh Quoc Thien, who heads the city's historians association.

For their part, students are excited.

Twelfth grader Phan Anh Dung from the Ngu Hanh Son High School said: "It would be great to have such textbooks in our curriculum. I think that we students must understand much more than anyone else about the Hoang Sa Islands, which are a part of our hometown."

Da Nang is home to thousands of Vietnamese fishermen, many of whom have been involved in ongoing attempts to defend Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Archipelago. — VNS

Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/learning-engl...-the-paracel-islands.html#PE0wmvTBVYCVtzhI.99

 

[JSCh]

World's deepest underwater sinkhole found in South China Sea
Source: Xinhua 2016-07-22 19:12:42

SANSHA, Hainan, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have found the world's deepest underwater sinkhole, or blue hole, at China's Xisha Islands in the South China Sea.

The blue hole is 300.89 meters deep, surpassing the current record of 202 meters, the researchers confirmed Friday.

 

[cochine]

US guided-missile destroyer in Philippines

July 22, 2016 PNA Nation 0



The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) arrived in Manila on July 20 for a routine port call that highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the Philippines and the United States.

During the visit, service members from the American ship will participate in a series of community relations projects and sporting events, while experiencing Filipino culture.

Although some USS Curtis Wilbur sailors will be experiencing the Philippines for the first time, some of its crewmen, such as Senior Chief Gas Turbine System Technician Fitz Dasal, are looking forward to seeing the country again because they are Filipino-American.

“I was born in Bacolod, Philippines, which is south of Manila,” Dasal said.

“My wife and children are all US citizens, but they currently live in Bacolod. I’m very excited and grateful to see them. I’m thankful that the Navy granted me the opportunity to see my loved ones. The Philippines is a great country and I encourage everyone to get out and experience the culture to the fullest,” he added.

The Philippines is a longstanding treaty ally of the United States and became a major non-NATO ally in 2003.

With a partnership spanning more than 70 years, the American and Philippine militaries have worked closely in regional security, counter-terrorism, and combating transnational crime.

USS Curtis Wilbur is on patrol with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 in the US 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

http://www.update.ph/2016/07/us-guided-missile-destroyer-in-philippines/7877

 

[ahojunk]

Video on Sansha city on Yongxing Island in the Paracels.

--------

Sansha city’s anniversary: Municipality created to boost China’s maritime rights


CCTV News

Published on 24 Jul 2016

In 2014, shortly after the Philippine police detained 11 Chinese fishermen, CCTV’s reporter Han Bin visited one of the released fishermen. The reporter looked into the process of construction of the Sansha city and its unique role in China’s efforts to protect its maritime rights and marine resources. And in the heart of the South China Sea debate, he found out challenges for Sansha, and the changes it has brought to the Chinese fishermen who live there.

 

[ahojunk]

Another video - this one showing the 3 new airports and 5 new lighthouses in Nansha.

--------

Sansha city’s anniversary: Massive construction projects underway

CCTV News

Published on 24 Jul 2016
Sunday marks the fourth anniversary of the establishment of China's newest city, Sansha. Over the past four years, the region witnessed massive construction projects undertaken by China. The latest achievement is the successful trial flights on the two new airports on Zhubi and Meiji reefs, two of China's southernmost reefs in the South China Sea. Earlier, CCTV’s reporter Han Peng shared with us how the reefs have transformed.

 

[TaiShang]

Another video - this one showing the 3 new airports and 5 new lighthouses in Nansha.

--------

Sansha city’s anniversary: Massive construction projects underway

CCTV News

Published on 24 Jul 2016
Sunday marks the fourth anniversary of the establishment of China's newest city, Sansha. Over the past four years, the region witnessed massive construction projects undertaken by China. The latest achievement is the successful trial flights on the two new airports on Zhubi and Meiji reefs, two of China's southernmost reefs in the South China Sea. Earlier, CCTV’s reporter Han Peng shared with us how the reefs have transformed.

Progress is unstoppable. Those who deny it only deny for themselves since the ground reality stands.

Reactionarism is a religion and a false one. Hopefully, US and its little weak allies will be inflicted with this conditions for many more decades to come.

Until the Mandate of Heavens is complete.

 

[ahojunk]

The Japanese should just butt out of this.

--------
China tells Japan don't intervene in South China Sea
Source: Xinhua | 2016-07-24 18:54:17 | Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua)-- China on Sunday urged Japan not to intervene in the South China Sea issue as Japan is not directly concerned in any disputes there.

Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida said he would talk about the issue if he has a chance to meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the series of foreign ministers' meeting involving ASEAN and other Asian countries.

Stressing that the South China Sea arbitration is "illegal and invalid" from very beginning to end, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said China's rejection of the award is indeed in accordance with the international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"Japan is not a party to the South China Sea issue, and considering its shameful history, it has no rights whatsoever to accuse China on the matter," he said.

 

[ahojunk]

Now comes the money to protect the environment.

--------
Monday, July 25, 2016, 15:08
China's Sansha launches maritime ecological protection fund
By Xinhua

Aerial view of Sansha city in the Paracel chain. July 27, 2012. (Photo / AFP)


SANSHA - China's Sansha city has decided to allocate 5 million yuan (about US$748,000) annually for maritime environmental conservation in the next three years.

A first round of special environmental funding worth one million yuan was earmarked Saturday for exploration of the newly confirmed world's deepest underwater sinkhole, or blue hole, in the Xisha Islands. The blue hole in Yongle, a major coral reef, is 300.89 meters deep. It is known as Longdong, or "Dragon Hole."

The funds will be used to support scientific research and development of new methods and equipment in environmental protection, said Shi Guoning, a senior official of the land resources and environmental protection bureau of Sansha City.

Over the past four years, Sansha city has invested more than 30 million yuan in treatment and restoration of reefs and islets, according to the bureau.

The city has organized breeding and release of fish and sea turtles into the sea six times and cracked down on illegal capture of seabirds, according to Xu Zhifei, vice mayor of Sansha.

Sansha City was officially established in 2012 to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha island groups and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

 

[cochine]

Last update 08:40 | 03/07/2016



China tells untruths about East Sea dispute
VietNamNet Bridge – China’s announcement of winning support from 60 countries in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) dispute has attracted the special attention of the international community. But then, the truth was revealed: China did not tell the truth.

China illegally builds artificial islands in the East Sea.


In a few more days, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) based in The Hague (Netherlands) will make a decision on the case of the Philippines against China concerning the regulation of entities in the East Sea.

The PCA will not decide on the ownership of these entities, but only the maritime rights for these entities. In addition to the legal impact of this decision, which is considered a cornerstone in the evolution of the East Sea disputes, the case is expected to favor Manila on almost every aspect and affect the prestige of China.

Right from the start, Beijing spent a lot of money to persuade, intimidate and entice countries inside and outside the region to support the view of China in the East Sea. They loudly said there was no need for an international organization to intervene in the dispute and the dispute should be resolved on the basis of bilateral negotiations.

It was not surprising as this bilateral approach is beneficial for China, which has a louder voice than the smaller and weaker claimants (like the Philippines).

However, many times China was exposed to fabricate evidence and tell lies; for example, the recent statement on who supports their views concerning the East Sea dispute.

In many cases, this country provided only general information after diplomatic meetings, saying that the countries they had met expressed support for China’s views in the East Sea, but failed to quote the words of any senior official.

A final ruling is expected soon from a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague hearing Manila’s case against Beijing’s claims in the East Sea. How many countries recognize the decision as legally binding on both parties and call for it to be respected will determine its ultimate value, as international pressure is the court’s only enforcement mechanism.

In an effort to deflect that pressure, Chinese officials and state media have been trumpeting the number of countries that have voiced support for Beijing’s position that the tribunal lacks jurisdiction in the case and the ruling is therefore invalid.

In a recent press conference, when reporters asked how many countries supported the view of China, the spokesman of Chinese Foreign Ministry said 60, the number that a journalist had mentioned in a previous question. However, China cannot name these countries.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), under the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has recently published the results of a study to help clarify this.

AMTI has scoured publicly availableofficial statements in an effort to determine the real positions taken by countries. It has identified 60 countries that appear to be included in China’s list of supporters.

Of those, 8 have publicly confirmed their support, 4 have denied Beijing’s claim of support, and 48 have remained publicly silent or have issued statements that are considerably vaguer than indicated by China.

In contrast, 40 countries have voiced support for the arbitration proceedings, said the award will be legally binding, and/or called on China and the Philippines to respect it.

Support for China’s position is defined here as an explicit public statement that 1) the arbitral tribunal lacks jurisdiction or legitimacy; 2) the right of states to choose their own method of dispute resolution should be respected (and therefore compulsory dispute mechanisms such as the tribunal are invalid); or 3) the right of states to exempt certain types of disputes from compulsory settlement as provided for by article 298 of the UNCLOS should be respected (which China claims invalidates the arbitral proceedings because they actually touch upon boundary delimitation, from which it has exempted itself).

These are the main reasons that China will be concerned at the cost of credibility following the ruling of the PCA. Until now, only a few days before the trial, Beijing has still not received a public statement in favor.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/ma...na-tells-untruths-about-east-sea-dispute.html

 

[ahojunk]

Taiwan fishermen excited to set foot on Taiping Island
2016/07/26 11:59:45

Taipei, July 26 (CNA) Ten crew members of three Taiwanese fishing boats set foot in the port of Taiping Island in the South China Sea on Tuesday, expressing their excitement at finally seeing the island up close.

The fishing boats left Pingtung County on July 20 for the Taiwan-held island to highlight Taiwan's sovereignty there and that it is in fact an "island" under international law after an international tribunal ruled on July 12 that it was not.

The boats docked at the port Monday night, and after requesting permission from the commander of Taiping Island, the fishermen were allowed access to the island's port area on Tuesday.

But they were forbidden from entering the island itself as it is a restricted military base, said Captain Chen Fu-sheng (陳富盛) of the Pingtung-based Man Sheng Chi No. 8, one of the three boats that reached the island.

"Since we have come to Taiping Island, we feel like we should set foot on its land, or we will have regrets," Chen told CNA in a telephone interview.

"I saw the stone stele that former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took a photo with. There are also coconut and papaya trees on the island," Chen said.

Chen said he believed Taiping Island is an island because there are trees, fresh water and chickens and cows on the island.

He said his crew has filled up bottles of fresh water and plan to bring them back to Taiwan "to give each reporter (unable to come along) a bottle."

The three fishing boats departed for Taiwan at about 11 a.m. after being replenished with 21 canisters of fresh water two cartons of canned pork and beef.

No Taiwan reporters were allowed to cover the journey. A crew from the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV managed to go with a fourth fishing boat but the it was not allowed to dock and set anchor instead in waters off the island.

During their brief stay, two of the fishermen who landed on the island were sent to a medical station in the port to be treated for toothache and skin infection. They returned to their boats after being treated.

The flotilla of four fishing boats embarked on the journey July 20.

The fishermen's trip was taken in response to a July 12 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

In a case brought by the Philippines against China, the court said all high-tide features in the Spratly Islands, including Itu Aba (Taiping Island), are legally "rocks" rather than islands and therefore not entitled to 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones.

Without a 200-nautical-mile economic zone, Taiwanese fishermen could end up having a much smaller area in the South China Sea in which to operate.

(By Kuo Chih-hsuan and Christie Chen)

 

[ahojunk]

Lawmakers visit Taiping Island to reaffirm ROC sovereignty

Publication Date: July 20, 2016
Source:Taiwan Today

Legislators pose in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung Airport July 20 as they prepare to depart for Taiping Island in the South China Sea to reaffirm the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) sovereignty in the region. (CNA)


Legislators from the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and the Internal Administration Committee of the Legislative Yuan, the nation’s highest lawmaking body, visited Taiping Island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands July 20 to reassert the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) sovereignty following the recent release of an award rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Philippines-initiated South China Sea Arbitration.

Lawmakers Chen Ting-fei, Lo Chih-cheng, Tsai Shih-ying and Wang Ting-yu of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, as well as Chiang Chi-chen, Hsu Chih-jung, Huang Chao-shun and Lu Yu-ling from the main opposition Kuomintang, flew from southern Taiwan’s Pingtung Airport to Taiping Island on a military transport aircraft.

During a roughly two-hour visit, the legislators inspected a number of facilities on the island, including its satellite and solar power equipment and weather station. “Taiping Island is absolutely not a rock, as described by the arbitral tribunal, and is in fact an island,” said the KMT’s Chiang, who led the team of lawmakers. “The ROC has administered Taiping Island for seven decades and has continuously worked to improve the facilities on the island, which is fully capable of sustaining human life.”

DPP lawmaker Wang praised the high quality of local agricultural produce after sampling coconut milk from fruit grown on Taiping Island. He also lauded the dedication of personnel stationed there, adding “there can be no question that Taiping Island is an inherent part of the ROC’s sovereign territory.”

Comprising numerous decisions, the July 12 award classified Taiping Island as a rock and not an island. This would call into question the ROC’s rightful claim to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone around Taiping Island.

The award has produced strong reactions in Taiwan. The Office of the President, Executive Yuan and several ministries issued statements following the announcement of the award reaffirming the ROC is entitled to all rights over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters in accordance with international law and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. These statements have generated widespread international media coverage.

On July 13, President Tsai Ing-wen ordered ROC navy Kangding-class frigate Dihua to depart 24 hours early on a regular patrol of the South China Sea, and three days later the Coast Guard Administration dispatched a 1,000-ton cutter to the region on a mission of undetermined duration.

The Legislative Yuan issued a statement July 15 jointly drafted by the caucuses of the DPP, KMT, New Power Party and People First Party rejecting the PCA award and announcing that Taiwan remains committed to the ongoing development and administration of Taiping Island across the areas of academic research, environmental protection, infrastructure development, natural resources exploration, security, tourism, and transportation and communications.

Taiping Island, with an area of 0.51 square kilometers, is the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands. It can sustain human habitation and an economic life of its own, and meets the criteria of an island as defined in Article 121 of UNCLOS. As such, the ROC enjoys full rights associated with territorial waters, a contiguous zone, an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf in accordance with UNCLOS. (KTJ-CM)