South China Sea Forum

[Basel]

https://twitter.com/x/status/855709367622000641

 

[yusheng]

 

[yusheng]

Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea
2016/07/12
To reaffirm China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, enhance cooperation in the South China Sea with other countries, and uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, the Government of the People's Republic of China hereby states as follows:

I. China's Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands) consist of Dongsha Qundao (the Dongsha Islands), Xisha Qundao (the Xisha Islands), Zhongsha Qundao (the Zhongsha Islands) and Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands). The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea date back to over 2,000 years ago. China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them continuously, peacefully and effectively, thus establishing territorial sovereignty and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea.

Following the end of the Second World War, China recovered and resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao which had been illegally occupied by Japan during its war of aggression against China. To strengthen the administration over Nanhai Zhudao, the Chinese government in 1947 reviewed and updated the geographical names of Nanhai Zhudao, compiled Nan Hai Zhu Dao Di Li Zhi Lüe (A Brief Account of the Geography of the South China Sea Islands), and drew Nan Hai Zhu Dao Wei Zhi Tu (Location Map of the South China Sea Islands) on which the dotted line is marked. This map was officially published and made known to the world by the Chinese government in February 1948.

II. Since its founding on 1 October 1949, the People's Republic of China has been firm in upholding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. A series of legal instruments, such as the 1958 Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on China's Territorial Sea, the 1992 Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the 1998 Law of the People's Republic of China on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf and the 1996 Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on the Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, have further reaffirmed China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

III. Based on the practice of the Chinese people and the Chinese government in the long course of history and the position consistently upheld by successive Chinese governments, and in accordance with national law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, China has territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, including, inter alia:

i. China has sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao, consisting of Dongsha Qundao, Xisha Qundao, Zhongsha Qundao and Nansha Qundao;

ii. China has internal waters, territorial sea and contiguous zone, based on Nanhai Zhudao;

iii. China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, based on Nanhai Zhudao;

iv. China has historic rights in the South China Sea.

The above positions are consistent with relevant international law and practice.

IV. China is always firmly opposed to the invasion and illegal occupation by certain states of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao, and activities infringing upon China's rights and interests in relevant maritime areas under China's jurisdiction. China stands ready to continue to resolve the relevant disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation with the states directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law. Pending final settlement, China is also ready to make every effort with the states directly concerned to enter into provisional arrangements of a practical nature, including joint development in relevant maritime areas, in order to achieve win-win results and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

V. China respects and upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed by all states under international law in the South China Sea, and stays ready to work with other coastal states and the international community to ensure the safety of and the unimpeded access to the international shipping lanes in the South China Sea.

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/nanhai/eng/snhwtlcwj_1/t1379493.htm

 

[sinait]

G7 ministers call for implementation of Hague ruling on South China Sea
By Patricia Lourdes Viray (philstar.com) | Updated April 19, 2017 - 3:48pm

"We consider the July 12, 2016 award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal under the UNCLOS as a useful basis for further efforts to peacefully resolve disputes in the South China Sea," the G7 joint communique read.

The UN-backed arbitral tribunal based in the Hague, Netherlands had ruled that China's nine-dash line claim does not have a legal basis and that Beijing violated its commitment under the UNCLOS for building artificial islands in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

FAKE NEWS. Nowhere do I see the G7 ministers call for implementation of anything. In calling for using the award as "a useful basis for further efforts", it clearly shows that the G7 don't accept the award as legitimate as well. Merely to use it as a reference only. Please don't twist facts.
The UN has already clarified that they got nothing to do with the kangaroo tribunal based in the Hague.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/141125/arbitral-court-not-a-un-agency
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...ed-nations-stresses-separation-hague-tribunal.

 

[JSCh]

Chinese submersible Jiaolong tested ahead of South China Sea dive
(Xinhua) 08:20, April 24, 2017

Jiaolong (Xinhua/Gao Yue)​

ONBOARD SHIP XIANGYANGHONG 09, April 23 -- Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, went through a dive simulation in Sanya, Hainan Province on Saturday to prepare for a deep descent in the South China Sea.

The submersible stayed underwater for 18 minutes in Saturday's drill before returning Xiangyanghong 09, the mother ship, completing tasks including underwater training for its crew.

Zhang Weijia, who participated, said she was very excited entering the submersible for the first time to learn about its facilities, practical operation and emergency escape.

Jiaolong's South China Sea dive is part of the second stage of China's 38th ocean scientific expedition. The expedition will last for about four months.

The drill was necessary for testing equipment and personnel, said Wu Changbin, general commander of the second stage of the expedition. Currently the Jiaolong's "technological status" is stable and the cooperation among various departments is smooth, Wu said.

Jiaolong completed a deep-sea operation in the northwestern Indian Ocean earlier this year in the mission's first stage. It will also conduct surveys in the Yap Trench and the Mariana Trench in the third stage.

Named after a mythical dragon, Jiaolong reached its deepest depth of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.

 

[samsara]

Jinqing Island 晋卿岛 - Xisha Islands 西沙群岛

Aerial view of Jinqing Island 晋卿岛, part of the Xisha Islands 西沙群岛 in the South China Sea, oval-shaped, 0.2 square kilometre, inhabited by 20 plus fishermen only. (Xinhua News - 2017.04.23)

 

[GS Zhou]

Even today, I still feel unbelievable that how could these buildings be constructed in a distant "no-where" in such a short period of time. That's really a magnificent achievement of China!

 

[TaiShang]

Singaporean warship visits China
(Xinhua) April 24, 2017

QINGDAO, April 23 -- A Singaporean warship arrived Sunday at Chinese city Qingdao for a four-day visit and joint drill.

The North Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) Navy held a ceremony to welcome missile frigate RSS Intrepid, which is accompanied by Chinese ship Yancheng. Altogether 141 Singaporean naval staff were onboard the frigate.

The two navies will visit each other's ships and hold exchange activities.

After the visit, the RSS Intrepid and Yancheng will conduct a joint drill practising the Code for Unalerted Encounters at Sea, focusing on simple subjects such as communication and formation maneuvers.

 

[ahojunk]

Singaporean warship visits China
(Xinhua) April 24, 2017

QINGDAO, April 23 -- A Singaporean warship arrived Sunday at Chinese city Qingdao for a four-day visit and joint drill.

The North Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) Navy held a ceremony to welcome missile frigate RSS Intrepid, which is accompanied by Chinese ship Yancheng. Altogether 141 Singaporean naval staff were onboard the frigate.

The two navies will visit each other's ships and hold exchange activities.

After the visit, the RSS Intrepid and Yancheng will conduct a joint drill practising the Code for Unalerted Encounters at Sea, focusing on simple subjects such as communication and formation maneuvers.

Aha. It looks like both countries have gone past the Terrex incident.

Now, they are back on better terms and holding exchange activities. Good for these two countries.

 

[Place Of Space]

Even today, I still feel unbelievable that how could these buildings be constructed in a distant "no-where" in such a short period of time. That's really a magnificent achievement of China!

View attachment 392608

View attachment 392609

A building looks like a 5 star hotel!

 

[sinait]

Aha. It looks like both countries have gone past the Terrex incident.
Now, they are back on better terms and holding exchange activities. Good for these two countries.

It was never a big problem. The 1st time I visited our Civil Service College, I was so surprised to see so many PRC personnel there for training. Our interest are deeply entrenched as well as large section of the populace have close relatives in China. The Chinese here speak and write simplified Chinese, unlike HK and Taiwan. The relationship may have bumps along the way but will never be impaired.

 

[Star Expedition]

FAKE NEWS. Nowhere do I see the G7 ministers call for implementation of anything. In calling for using the award as "a useful basis for further efforts", it clearly shows that the G7 don't accept the award as legitimate as well. Merely to use it as a reference only. Please don't twist facts.
The UN has already clarified that they got nothing to do with the kangaroo tribunal based in the Hague.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/141125/arbitral-court-not-a-un-agency
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...ed-nations-stresses-separation-hague-tribunal.

Thanks for your efforts.

This is just one of those thousands of fake news they created to mislead people, they just want to waste our time on nonexistent issues.

Our response is very simple: bigger GDP , bigger navy.
A canon is louder than all these mouths.

 

[Viet]

Distance could be 1 of the factors. With Vietnam the Japanese pirates will not be able to "frequently raided and looted Chinese coastal cities". During ancient times they don't have modern ships with engines and its a major effort and dangerous to travel the distance to Vietnam. Its more profitable to raid nearby China and Korea which they did.

Wrong. The Japanese know we have little humor if they come looting our properties.

 

[Star Expedition]

Wrong. The Japanese know we have little humor if they come looting our properties.

Words won't stop Japanese.
Vietnam has nothing to negotiate with much powerful Japan

 

[cochine]

Japan Is Becoming Player in South China Sea Sovereignty Dispute
March 20, 2017 4:47 AM

• Ralph Jennings

FILE - A helicopter lands on the Izumo, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force's (JMSDF) helicopter carrier, at JMSDF Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 6, 2016.

TAIPEI —
Japan is building up its influence in the South China Sea, the most widely contested body of water in Asia, to curb Chinese expansion and garner support for its broader military as well as economic interests.

In May, Japan will send its Izumo helicopter-carrying warship to the South China Sea for three months of port visits in Southeast Asia before directing it onward to the Indian Ocean for drills with the United States, according to the U.S. Naval Institute’s news website.

“You see this warship more as a multipurpose platform,” said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. “It can do humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It can do anti-submarine warfare, so a few signals Japan wants to send via this deployment.”

'Causing trouble'

Last week, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson reacted to word about the warship by urging that Tokyo “refrain from causing trouble in the region” and “respect related countries' efforts to maintain peace and stability,” according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Japan does not claim the South China Sea, a 3.5 million-square-kilometer body of water prized for fisheries and possible undersea fuel reserves.

Six other governments call all or part of it their own, creating friction since the 1960s. Over the past decade China has angered the others by using landfill to expand tiny islets and built military installations on some to fortify its claim to about 95 percent of the sea.

Japan, which does have maritime territorial disputes with Beijing in the East China Sea, will send the ship as part of a longer-term effort to vie with China’s influence in Southeast Asian coastal states while cooperating with the United States to bolster a broader power base in Asia, analysts say.

“Like China and the U.S., Japan is trying to consolidate its role as a leader in the region,” said Jonathan Spangler, director of the Taipei-based South China Sea Think Tank. “Part of this effort involves demonstrating that it has the capacity and courage to operate in areas well beyond its own borders.”

Island-building

The United States hopes to stop Chinese island-building in the South China Sea and ensure freedom of navigation, an agenda that has angered Beijing but found a match in Tokyo.

Japan also cares about the safety of undersea communications infrastructure and China’s compliance with international laws, Koh said.

Japan and China dispute the eight uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Analysts say Tokyo’s influence in Southeast Asia, along with its close U.S. security relationship, could draw wider sympathy to its Senkaku claim.

Tokyo controls the islets, which are 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) southeast of Okinawa and called the Diaoyudao in China. It regularly reports spotting Chinese military aircraft flying over nearby waters.

Japan wants to form a “united front” with Southeast Asian countries, said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at The University of New South Wales in Australia. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines contest parts of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea.

“It does not want the Senkakus to be just an isolated incident. Broader context is China’s assertiveness and growing power in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “The endgame is stability and getting China to stand down on assertive actions on the Senkakus.”

Economic influence

China and Japan already vie for economic influence in Southeast Asia, a hotbed for investment and a vibrant consumer market of about 600 million people.

Japan has given the region development aid since the 1950s. Last year it pledged to raise the amount. The aid builds political relations while keeping doors open for low-cost investment by Japanese factories.

Vietnam and the Philippines are exploring ways to cooperate with China over the disputed sea, adding urgency for Japan. China offers aid and investment to much of Southeast Asia as well.

A satellite image shows what CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative says appears to be concrete structures with retractable roofs on the artificial island Fiery Cross reefs, South China Sea, in this image released on February 22, 2017.

Japan’s foreign ministry said last year it hoped China would “comply with” a July 2016 world arbitration court ruling against the Chinese claim to about 95 percent of the sea. The Philippines had filed for the arbitration. China rejected the ruling.

“Japan is continuously proactive in terms of providing assistance to the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries in terms of conducting ... patrols in the region and also sending the warships to ASEAN countries, very much in line with their emphasis on the rule-based behavior,” said Andrew Yang, secretary-general with the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank in Taiwan.

China’s dialogue with other countries had “improved” relations in the region, Xinhua said.

Beijing distrusts Japan for what it perceives as an unrepentant stance for its pre-World War Two invasion of mainland China. It also frets over the Japan-U.S. military alliance that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis reaffirmed in February.

Japanese influence

China is used to Japan’s influence in Southeast Asia, analysts say.

Japan sent three amphibious ships to the Philippines in 2013 for relief after Typhoon Haiyan killed about 6,300 people in the Southeast Asian country.

Last year, Japan gave the Philippines two patrol vessels and said it would lease training aircraft, adding to an earlier offer of 10 coast guard ships to an otherwise militarily weak nation. Japan agreed in 2014 to sell Vietnam six used maritime surveillance vessels and two months ago pledged to sell it six new patrol ships.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Japan “had inflamed the (South China Sea) issue recently, much to the dissatisfaction of the Chinese people,” Xinhua reported. Unless Japan shifts direction, the news agency said, “China will definitely respond to any action that harms China's sovereignty and security.”

Expect a "continuation" of Japanese military cooperation in Southeast Asia, Thayer said.
http://www.voanews.com/a/japan-player-south-china-sea-sovereignty-dispute/3773376.html