By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files
“Since 1970’s, the Republic of the Philippines started to invade and occupy some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Islands and made relevant territorial claims, to which China objects strongly,” China said in a note verbale submitted April 14 to the United Nations in reply to the protest lodged by the Philippines on April 5.
“The Republic of the Philippines’ occupation of some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha islands as well as other related acts constitutes infringement upon China’s territorial sovereignty,” according to the note verbale.
Early this month, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China’s 9-dash line territorial claim over the whole of South China Sea, including the Spratlys group, a cluster of oil-rich islands disputed by the Philippines, China,three other countries, and Taiwan.
The protest was lodged nearly two years after China filed its 9-dash line map to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Other claimants, Vietnam and Malaysia, filed their protest the day after China filed its claim in May 2009. Indonesia, which is not among the claimants, filed its protest over China’s map last year.
Of all four diplomatic protests lodged against China’s 9-dash line map, it was only the Philippine protest that China singled out through its note verbale to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The exchange of diplomatic protests came after President Benigno Aquino III reportedly moved back plans to visit Beijing on May 23-25.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao was to meet with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario on April 14, the day China filed its note verbale to the UN, supposedly to explain his country’s reply and reaffirm the date mutually agreed on for the state visit.
The 3 p.m. meeting was cancelled at the last minute due to Del Rosario’s unavailability. There was a two-day joint consultation on border cooperation with Malaysia at the time.
China’s diplomatic protest branded the contents of the Philippines’ April 5 note as “totally unacceptable to the Chinese government.”
In addition to its usual position of asserting sovereignty and jurisdiction in the South China Sea and citing historical and legal evidence, China this time contended that the Philippines had never made any claims to Nansha Islands or any of its components in the series of international treaties that define the limits of the territory of the Philippines and its domestic legislation before 1970.
China said the “so-called Kalayaan Island Group claimed by the Philippines is part of China’s Nansha Islands” which, it said, has been clearly defined. It claimed to have given publicity since 1930’s Nansha’s geographical scope and the names of its components.
China’s language in its recent diplomatic protest is unlike its usual phraseology of reiterating “Nansha Islands have been part of the territory of China since ancient time and that it has indisputable sovereignty over it and its surrounding maritime areas.”
It now used and mentioned efforts of strong objection each time as basis for its consistent position that any claim to territorial sovereignty over the Spratlys chain in the South China Sea is null and void.
Refuting the Philippines’ assertion of sovereignty and jurisdiction over the waters around or adjacent to each relevant geological feature in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) by virtue of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) principle “la terre domine la mer” or “the land dominates the sea,” China said the Philippines can in no way invoke such “illegal” occupation to support its territorial claims under the legal doctrine, “ex injuria jus non oritur,” or “a right cannot rise from a wrong.”
China, through its Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, asserted that under the legal principle “the land dominates the sea,” the coastal states’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf claims shall not infringe upon territorial sovereignty of other states.
“Under the relevant provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS, as well as the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone (1992) and the Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the PROC (1998), China’s Nansha Islands is fully entitled to Territorial Sea, EEZ and Continental Shelf,” China’s diplomatic protest stated.
The Philippine protest that China replied to similarly in a note verbale before the UN Commission on the Law of the Sea came at a stressful time in their bilateral relations after China executed three Filipino drug convicts on March 30, despite a request for leniency from Aquino and also after Philippines on March 3 filed a diplomatic protest over Chinese incursion into Reed Bank, 250 kilometers west of Palawan, where an oil exploration is ongoing. Reed Bank is part of the KIG and is also being claimed by China and Vietnam.
A senior official at the Department of Foreign Affairs said the protest must be “delinked” from the March 30 executions. While the Philippine protest was expected, it was to China’s wonder why it took time.
“It took time for us because for us the relations that we have nurtured over the decade are important to us. Our excellent relations are paramount. We don’t want to mar it,” the official said. “But since it infringes on our sovereignty, we have to do something. Otherwise we cannot face the Filipino people and let that opportunity pass without registering our protest.”
Without giving Aquino’s reason for postponing the planned state visit, the DFA official, however, said these developments make it even “more significant” for Aquino to go to Beijing.
Other than forging possible cooperation against drug trafficking, the territorial dispute in the South China Sea will surely be raised and it would be an opportunity for Aquino to restate Philippine position.
“It took a principled position for the Philippines to protest it (9-dash line map). Now we have to say ‘yes and go’ because we stand on solid ground and based on the UNCLOS, and we are well within our rights to exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction over these islands and waters adjacent to it and the continental shelf that it generates. The President should go and say this,” the DFA official said.
(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)
Pertinent document:
Coming from China, despite it’s melodramatic overtones, I’m wont to say RP should feel flattered… reverse psychology at its best! 😛
Right! Now, put ’em board signs saying “Urinating prohibited here!” on all the islands 🙂 and by gum, sea patrol must continue.
RP has got enough assets to patrol our territorial waters… With the DFA doing its bit, and bravo to them, what we need today is someone at the top, and I mean at the very top, who has “a strong dose of egotism, pride, hardness, and cunning?” which “will be regarded as high qualities, if he can make of them the means to achieve great ends.”
So, yohooo… knock, knock (Malacanang), is anybody there????
Wow !! This is a first !! China must be trembling on her feet !! Wait till they see our “TORA-TORA” planes……..
Hahaha talaga! For the first time in Pinas history, she becomes an invader! yahooo!!!
Wow! tinalo ni Pnoy si PBO at Hil who now never dare to cross path with Jintao! Ang tapang natin! Sige pa Sec. Albert…takutin este pikunin pa natin ang Tsina, hehehe!
“It took a principled position for the Philippines to protest it (9-dash line map). Now we have to say ‘yes and go’ because we stand on solid ground and based on the UNCLOS, and we are well within our rights to exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction over these islands and waters adjacent to it and the continental shelf that it generates. The President should go and say this,” the DFA official said.
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YES, Go Pnoy…say it!
Chi, I’m ROFL here 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 I never thought nor even remotely imagined that one day I’d read this sort of news! Hahahahaha! Yeeehaaaa again!
Can you imagine what good it would do to Mr Aquino’s ratings if Pinas occupied the other islets with great fanfare and announce that we are deploying our ships, yesssss, our ships, our mighty armada to the Spratlys to keep watch over our islets??? 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Just remember, the tenet that people usually rally behind their leader when faced by a foreign enemy can be put to the test as soon as MrAquino shows a bit of teeth… 😛
and good timing too, just when China is going on a “charm offensive”
Yesss!!!! About time!!!
Anna, dapat itulak si PNoy…to show a bit of teeth. Wala namang mawawala sa kanya kasi sabi ni Archbishop Cruz e too old to get married na raw sya. Therefore, he can sacrifice himself for the sake of our motherland, hehehe!
The world should now realize the serious implication of the Philippines “invasion” of the South China Sea. They should stop calling us the sick man of Asia, the most corrupt country with the worst airport. We’re now the invaders!
Mother Lily would love a movie remake of “Ang Leon at ang Kuting”…
We better watch out though. The international community might accuse us of throwing our weight around and bullying a hapless country like China (WOW !!). 🙂
With China’s over a billion population, they could easily fill in the Spratly Islands with their excess inhabitants.
Tibet is now becoming more Chinese, with the Tibetans considered second class citizens in their own country.
Free Tibet!
don’t worry guys… we have the NPA, ASG, MNLF, MILF, ABB, sige sige sputnik gang, Dominguez carnapping group and manny pacquiao at our disposal.
Mukhang hindi alam ang sinasabi ng nagsabi na intsik. Tayo pa ang inakusahan na invader samantalang sila ang atat na atat na mapa sa kanila ang spratly.
Palagay ko mas maganda na ang Spratly Island na iyan ay lamunin ng tubig dagat hanggang hindi na makita para matapos na ang kuro kuro kung kanino talaga iyan.
Kaso, arvin, kahit lamunin yan ng dagat, hindi lang naman yung lupa ang pinag-aawayan kundi langis at natural gas na nasa ilalim ng dagat. Kasama na rin yung teritoryo, control sa sea lanes, at fishing rights.
Higit pa sa yamang-langis/ natural gas ang hangarin ng Imperyalistang Tsina, sa Isla ng Spratly. Ang iginigiit na “9-dash line territorial claim” ng Imperyalistang Tsina ay hinahangad nito na ma-kontrol at sakupin istratehikong rehiyon “Pacific Rim”.Papayag ba ang US of A, na mangyari ito?
Dapat na manindigan si P.Noy, na, ang parsyal na bahagi ng Islang Spratly, partikular ang KIG ay saklaw at pag-aari ng pamahalaang Pilipinas at para sa Pilipino.
Salamat Geriboy27, matagal kong pinapangarap na magkasama-sama ang iba’t-ibang armadong grupo sa bansang Pilipinas para sa iisang layunin na itigil na ang labanan/ patayan ng Pilipino sa kapwa-Pilipino nito, at sa pagkakataon na ipaglaban ang soberenya ng kabansaan laban sa anumang uri ng imperyalismo.
Nawa, ang NPA/CPP ay maglunsad ng protesta laban sa Imperyalistang Tsina at kanilang tutulan ang “9-dash line territorial claim”.
Petite,
Malabo yata na NPP/CPA ang manguna sa laban dyan. Eh di ba tinaguriang leftist o Komunista yang grupong yan, na ideyolohiyang galing China… Mas mabuti pa na gawing parang IWAHIG ng Pinas yang mga islang yan. Tutal nagsisiksikan na ang mga preso sa kulungan. Ewan ko lang kung di matakot ang mga Intsik.
Ka Luzviminda,
Para sa iyong kabatiran, narito ang kaunting kaalaman ko patungkol sa iyong katanungan-komento, nawa’y magbigay ito ng munting kalinawagan.
Sapat na kilalanin ng Imperyalistang Tsina ang bansang Pilipinas ay isang “mananakop”; partikular sa isyu kung sino ang lehitimong may-ari ng kabuuang mga Isla ng Spratly? Marahil, hindi na kailangan pang takutin o matakot ang Tsina. Sapagkat, mula sa kanilang akusasyon na “mananakop” ang Pilipinas, naroon na ang pagka-takot ng dambuhalang Tsina, ito man ay kanilang malumanay na opensiba at/o black propaganda. Marahil, sa pananaw ng Tsina, ang Pilipinas ay tanging karatig-bansa na banta at pinakasagabal sa kanilang mithiin na ma-kontrol ang “Pacific Rim’.
Ang ideolohiya ng CPP/NPA ay hango sa Kaisipang Maoismo-Leninismo at Marxismo, at hindi mula sa solidong dogma ng Imperyalistang Tsina. Sa paglipas ng panahon, sa yugtong e-mundo, ang Komunismong Ruso ay bumagsak na. Samantalang, ang Komunismong-Imperyalistang Tsina ay nasa yugto na ngayon ng socio-capitalist. Na, kung susuriin, ang socio-capitalist ay kawangis ng pambansang sosyalismo na iginuhit ni Stalin; ang kaunting kaibahan lamang ay mapangnakop nang soberanya ang uring socio-capitalist ng Komunismong Tsina, tulad ng kanilang deklarasyon na ang kabuuang Spratly Island ay kanilang pag-aari.
Dahil rito, dapat pa bang maging modelo ng CPP/NPA ang Imperyalistang-Komunismong Tsina, manapa’y maari lamang na hiramin ang kaisipang Maoismo, para muli’t-muling suriin ang tunay na larawan ng lipunang Pilipino. Kaalinsabay nito, na mithiing abutin ang katagumpayan ng Dakilang Rebolusyong 1896,na naglulunsad ng diwang mapagmahal at mapaglingkod sa kapwa-TAO’t kapwa-Pilipino, at mapagkalinga sa Inang-bayan. Sapagkat ang Pilipinas ay para sa Pilipino, ang likas-yaman ng Pilipinas ay para sa Pilipino, ang Pilipino ay para sa Pilipino.
Samakatuwid, may positibong uportunidad, na ang CPP/NPA ay maglaan ng pakikipagtulungan sa AFP/PHL upang sama-samang tutulan at labanan ang “9-dash line territorial claim” ng Imperyalistang Tsina. Sapagkat, ang CPP/NPA ay hindi dobleng-mukha ng Komunistang-Imperyalismong Tsina… ang mga kasapi ng CPP/NPA ay yaong mga Pilipinong Komunista at kapwa-Pilipino, tulad ng kasapian ng AFP ay kapwa-Pilipino nila/natin lahat.