‘New’ map of China alarming
THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday condemned China’s unveiling of a new official map that emphatically made the latter’s claims in the disputed waters and reefs of the South China Sea part of its national territory, saying the move betrayed Beijing’s “ambitious expansionism” in utter disregard of international law and regional stability.
“We reiterate that such a publication only shows China’s un-
reasonably expansionist claim that is clearly contrary to international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos),” the DFA spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon.
“It is precisely such ambitious expansionism that is causing the tensions in the South China Sea,” Jose added.
Previous maps published by Beijing already include China’s claims to most of the South China Sea, but in a little box normally at the bottom corner to enable the rest of the country to fit on the map.
The new, longer map dispenses with the box and shows continental China along with its self-declared sea boundary in the South China Sea—stretching right down to the coasts of Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines—on one complete map.
“The islands of the South China Sea on the traditional map of China are shown in a cutaway box, and readers cannot fully, directly know the full map of China,” the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily said on its website.
Old maps make the South China Sea’s islands appear more like an appendage rather than an integral part of the country, which the new map makes “obvious with a single glance,” it added.
“This vertical map of China has important meaning for promoting citizens’ better understanding of ... maintaining (our) maritime rights and territorial integrity,” an unnamed Chinese official with the map’s publishers told the newspaper.
Manila has many times scored Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea that overlaps Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea. Through an arbitration case it had filed with a UN tribunal, Manila is seeking to nullify Beijing’s claims that cover territory well within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.
In November 2012, Manila issued special regulations in which it refused to stamp Philippine visas on just released Chinese e-passports bearing Chinese maps that displayed the socalled nine-dash line, saying doing otherwise would be tantamount to a recognition of Beijing’s claim in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has instead been stamping visas for Chinese travelers on separate forms.
China’s foreign ministry, however, said people should not read too much into the issuing of the new map.
“The goal is to serve the Chinese public. As for the intentions, I think there is no need to make too much of any association here,” foreign min- istry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing in Beijing.
“China’s position on the South China Sea issue is consistent and extremely clear. Our stance has not changed,” Hua said.
Beijing claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, but parts of the potentially energy-rich waters are also subject to claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Tensions have risen sharply in the region in recent months, especially between China and both Vietnam and the Philippines.
China’s positioning of an oil rig in waters claimed by both Beijing and Hanoi last month has led to a series of ramming at sea between ships from both countries as well as a flare-up of anti-Chinese violence in Vietnam.
Yesterday, China sent more than 100 ships including six military vessels to protect its oil rig.
On Tuesday, Vietnam’s state media reported that a ship belonging to the Vietnam Fishing Surveillance Department was deliberately rammed and seriously damaged by two Chinese ships illegally operating in Vietnamese waters on Monday.
Viet Nam News reported that China continued “its flagrant violation of international law in placing an oil rig in Vietnamese seas and preventing the nation’s vessels from engaging in their normal activities.”
At about 9:30 a.m. on Monday, two Chinese tugboats and a maritime patrol vessel blocked a Vietnamese fishing surveillance ship, allowing another Chinese tugboat to ram and seriously damage the ship.
Chinese vessels defend rig
According to Viet Nam News, a Chinese fleet, including about 44 Coast Guard vessels, 15 cargo ships, 19 tugboats, 35 fishing boats and five battleships, continued to defend the drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 that has been illegally positioned in Vietnam’s waters since the beginning of May.
“The Chinese ships kept up their aggression even after the latest ramming incident, coming threateningly close to Vietnamese vessels,” said the state-owned news agency.
On May 2, China sent its oil rig along with a large fleet of armed vessels including military ships and aircraft and positioned it deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
China moved the rig later to a site 111 kilometers (60 nautical miles) inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, ignoring Vietnam’s protests.