Posts Tagged ‘Ayungin Shoal’
Philippines Protests China’s Interference With Resupply At at Ayungin Shoal
March 11, 2014
By Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) | Updated March 12, 2014 – 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – The government yesterday protested Sunday’sincident at Ayungin Shoal where China’s coast guard vessels drove away two Philippine ships.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned the charge d’ affaires of the Chinese embassy to hand over a note verbale expressing the government’s objection to China’s action.
The Philippines urged China to stop interfering with its efforts to undertakerotation and resupply operations at the Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal.
DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said China rejected the protest.
“China’s action constitutes a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the DFA said in a statement.
It said Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines, and thus the country is entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other states.
China confirmed its coast guard vessels drove the two Philippine ships away from the disputed Ayungin Shoal.
The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said coast guard vessels patrolling the area identified “two ships loaded with construction materials and carrying the flags of the Philippines.”
The Philippine ships were reportedly approaching the shoal, known to China as the Ren’ai Reef.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned the charge d’ affaires of the Chinese embassy to hand over a note verbale expressing the government’s objection to China’s action.
The Philippines urged China to stop interfering with its efforts to undertakerotation and resupply operations at the Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal.
DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said China rejected the protest.
“China’s action constitutes a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the DFA said in a statement.
It said Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines, and thus the country is entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other states.
Hernandez said the civilian vessels commissioned by the Philippine Navy were only conducting rotation of personnel and resupply operations.
He said last Sunday’s incident was the first time in 15 years that China interfered with the Navy’s operation on the shoal.China confirmed its coast guard vessels drove the two Philippine ships away from the disputed Ayungin Shoal.
The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said coast guard vessels patrolling the area identified “two ships loaded with construction materials and carrying the flags of the Philippines.”
The Philippine ships were reportedly approaching the shoal, known to China as the Ren’ai Reef.
China Harasses Philippine Resupply Ships At Ayungin Shoal, Prevents Food and Water from Reaching Filipinos
March 11, 2014
By Matikas Santos
INQUIRER.net
This undated handout photo released by the Philippine Government on May 23, 2013 shows an aerial view of BRP Sierra Madre, a 100-metre (328 foot) amphibious vessel built for the US in 1944 and acquired by the Filipino navy in 1976, grounded at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino vessels were expelled from Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly group of islands by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) Sunday, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a press conferencethat there were two vessels carrying Philippine flags and “loaded with construction materials” identified by the CCG approaching Ayungin Shoal, known as Ren’ai Reef to China.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has yet to issue a statement confirming the expulsion incident in Ayungin shoal.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren’ai Reef,” Gang was quoted as saying by China’s state news agency Xinhua.
“The moves infringed China’s sovereignty and violated the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea,” he said.
Gang accused the Philippines of attempting to conduct construction on the reef, prompting the CCG to expel them.
The Philippines only defense on the shoal is the BRP Sierra Madre, which was intentionally grounded on Ayungin in 1999 to mark the country’s territorial claim.
Several soldiers are stationed on the rusted Sierra Madre. They are constantly surrounded by CCG vessels patrolling the waters around the shoal.
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
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8:34 am | Tuesday, March 11th, 2014
This undated handout photo released by the Philippine Government on May 23, 2013 shows an aerial view of BRP Sierra Madre, a 100-metre (328 foot) amphibious vessel built for the US in 1944 and acquired by the Filipino navy in 1976, grounded at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino vessels were expelled from Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly group of islands by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) Sunday, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a press conferencethat there were two vessels carrying Philippine flags and “loaded with construction materials” identified by the CCG approaching Ayungin Shoal, known as Ren’ai Reef to China.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has yet to issue a statement confirming the expulsion incident in Ayungin shoal.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren’ai Reef,” Gang was quoted as saying by China’s state news agency Xinhua.
“The moves infringed China’s sovereignty and violated the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea,” he said.
Gang accused the Philippines of attempting to conduct construction on the reef, prompting the CCG to expel them.
The Philippines only defense on the shoal is the BRP Sierra Madre, which was intentionally grounded on Ayungin in 1999 to mark the country’s territorial claim.
Several soldiers are stationed on the rusted Sierra Madre. They are constantly surrounded by CCG vessels patrolling the waters around the shoal.
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
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Philippines optimistic to win case against China
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South China Sea: Philippines Accuses China of Provocation; Issues Official Protest
March 11, 2014
By Louis Bacani (philstar.com) | Updated March 11, 2014 – 4:26pm
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File photo of DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has issued a protest against China’s expulsion of Philippine ships in the disputed Ayungin Shoal.
In a statement, the DFA said it has summoned the Chinese Charge d’Affaireson Tuesday afternoon to handover a note verbale to express the Philippines’ objection to China’s actions.
“China’s actions constitute a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the DFA said.
Chinese state news media Xinhua first reported that the Chinese coast guard drove away two Philippine ships from the Ayungin Shoal last Sunday.
Read: Chinese state media: Phl ships expelled from Ayungin Shoal
The DFA said the ships were civilian vessels contracted by the Philippine Navy that were conducting rotation of personnel and resupply operation.
After the latest maritime incident, the DFA said it urges China “to desist from any further interference with the efforts of the Philippines to undertake rotation and resupply operations at the Ayungin Shoal.”
The DFA said Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines, which is entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other countries.
Related:
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
Philippines Summons China’s Charge d’Affaires After Chinese Coast Guard Ship Blocks Resupply of Philippine Troops in the South China Sea
Legally, China Has No Claim To Vast Areas of South China Sea, Judge Says
BRP Sierra Madre
BRP Sierra Madre
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
In a statement, the DFA said it has summoned the Chinese Charge d’Affaireson Tuesday afternoon to handover a note verbale to express the Philippines’ objection to China’s actions.
“China’s actions constitute a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the DFA said.
Chinese state news media Xinhua first reported that the Chinese coast guard drove away two Philippine ships from the Ayungin Shoal last Sunday.
Read: Chinese state media: Phl ships expelled from Ayungin Shoal
The DFA said the ships were civilian vessels contracted by the Philippine Navy that were conducting rotation of personnel and resupply operation.
According to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report, the Department of National Defense also said that the Philippine vessels were carrying provisions to marine troops staying on the BRP Sierra Madre grounded at the contested shoal.
“The Chinese Coast Guard ships blocked our two vessels which were en route to Ayungin to re-provision. The full report is being finalized and will be submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Defense spokesperson Peter Galvez was quoted as saying in the PNA report.After the latest maritime incident, the DFA said it urges China “to desist from any further interference with the efforts of the Philippines to undertake rotation and resupply operations at the Ayungin Shoal.”
The DFA said Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines, which is entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other countries.
Related:
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
Philippines Summons China’s Charge d’Affaires After Chinese Coast Guard Ship Blocks Resupply of Philippine Troops in the South China Sea
Legally, China Has No Claim To Vast Areas of South China Sea, Judge Says
BRP Sierra Madre
BRP Sierra Madre
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
Philippines Summons China’s Charge d’Affaires After Chinese Coast Guard Ship Blocks Resupply of Philippine Troops in the South China Sea
March 11, 2014
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Ayungin Shoal is also called Ren’ai Reef by the Chinese
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MANILA, Philippines March 11, 2014 (AP)
By OLIVER TEVES Associated Press
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The Chinese coast guard prevented delivery of supplies to Filipino soldiers guarding a disputed shoal in the South China Sea and an envoy rejected a Philippine protest over the interference, officials said Tuesday.Chinese ships prevented two Filipino civilian vessels hired by the Philippine navy from reaching Second Thomas Shoal on Sunday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The shoal is called Ayungin Shoal by Manila and Ren’ai Reef by the Chinese.”Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines and therefore, the Philippines is entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other states,” the statement said.China’s actions “constitute a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines” under the Law of the Sea, it added.Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the resupply was a routine activity that hasn’t been interrupted by the Chinese in the past.“For 15 years we have conducted regular resupply missions and personnel rotation without interference from China,” he said.He said the Chinese ships used digital signs, sirens and megaphones in ordering the Filipino vessels to leave. The Filipinos returned to Palawan, the nearest Philippine province east of the Shoal.China’s charge d’affaires was summoned and handed the protest note. Hernandez said that as in the past, Beijing rejected the protest.Less than a month ago, Manila also protested a Chinese water cannon attack on Filipino fisherman near another disputed shoal. No one was injured in the Jan. 27 incident at the Scarborough Shoal off the country’s main island of Luzon in the north.
The Filipino troops awaiting fresh supplies are stationed on a decrepit military hospital ship that ran aground in 1999 on the shallow coral outcrop of the Second Thomas Shoal. The rusty ship has since become the symbol of the country’s sovereignty over the area.
China has been demanding the removal of the ship, claiming that the area is part of Chinese territory.
Department of National Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said “the Chinese coast guard ships blocked our two vessels which were en route to Ayungin to reprovision” the troops. He did not give other details.
The Chinese did not block Philippine marines and supplies to the station last June, a month after the deployment of Chinese ships to the area that also prompted diplomatic protests from Manila.
China’s official Xinhua news agency on Monday quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang as saying that the two Philippine ships were loaded with construction materials and were driven away by Chinese coast guard vessels as they approached the shoal.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren’ai Reef,” Qin said.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea. Nansha is the Chinese name for the Spratlys, a chain of resource-rich islands, islets and reefs claimed partly or wholly by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Related:
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
Legally, China Has No Claim To Vast Areas of South China Sea, Judge Says
China’s Foreign Minister: “There is no room for compromise” with Japan — China will “never accept unreasonable demands from smaller countries”
South China Sea: Philippines to upgrade Ulugan Bay navy base in response to China’s disputed sea claims, occupation
South China Sea: China Aggressively Enforces its Fishing Rules — Apprehending Boats Weekly in What It Calls “China’s Waters”
Formerly a ship in the navy of the Philippines, BRP Sierra Madre is stuck in Ayungin Shoal, 25 miles from Mischief Reef occupied by the Chinese
BRP Sierra Madre
BRP Sierra Madre
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
The Filipino troops awaiting fresh supplies are stationed on a decrepit military hospital ship that ran aground in 1999 on the shallow coral outcrop of the Second Thomas Shoal. The rusty ship has since become the symbol of the country’s sovereignty over the area.
China has been demanding the removal of the ship, claiming that the area is part of Chinese territory.
Department of National Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said “the Chinese coast guard ships blocked our two vessels which were en route to Ayungin to reprovision” the troops. He did not give other details.
The Chinese did not block Philippine marines and supplies to the station last June, a month after the deployment of Chinese ships to the area that also prompted diplomatic protests from Manila.
China’s official Xinhua news agency on Monday quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang as saying that the two Philippine ships were loaded with construction materials and were driven away by Chinese coast guard vessels as they approached the shoal.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren’ai Reef,” Qin said.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea. Nansha is the Chinese name for the Spratlys, a chain of resource-rich islands, islets and reefs claimed partly or wholly by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Related:
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
Legally, China Has No Claim To Vast Areas of South China Sea, Judge Says
China’s Foreign Minister: “There is no room for compromise” with Japan — China will “never accept unreasonable demands from smaller countries”
South China Sea: Philippines to upgrade Ulugan Bay navy base in response to China’s disputed sea claims, occupation
South China Sea: China Aggressively Enforces its Fishing Rules — Apprehending Boats Weekly in What It Calls “China’s Waters”
Formerly a ship in the navy of the Philippines, BRP Sierra Madre is stuck in Ayungin Shoal, 25 miles from Mischief Reef occupied by the Chinese
BRP Sierra Madre
BRP Sierra Madre
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
China Confirms Chasing Filipinos Away From Disputed Area in South China Sea
March 10, 2014
BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) — China on Monday confirmed that coast guard vessels had driven away two Philippine ships from the Ren’ai Reef off China’s Nansha Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said coast guard vessels, patrolling the Ren’ai Reef, identified two ships loaded with construction materials and carrying the flags of the Philippines, approaching the reef on Sunday.
Having been warned by the Chinese vessels, the two Philippine ships left the reef, referred to as “Ayungin Shoal” by the Philippines, on Sunday afternoon, according to Qin.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren’ai Reef,” said the spokesman.
Qin recalled how a Philippine warship had illegally grounded on the Ren’ai Reef in 1999, claiming it had been stranded. Since then, China has repeatedly demanded the Philippines retrieve the warship, but all requests have been ignored and with “technical reasons” cited for the failure to do so, Qin said.
This time, again the Philippine side attempted to start construction on the reef, he said. “The moves infringed China’s sovereignty and violated the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea.”
China had no choice but to respond to the Philippines’ moves, he said.
Formerly a ship in the navy of the Philippines, BRP Sierra Madre is stuck in Ayungin Shoal, 25 miles from Mischief Reef occupied by the Chinese
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said coast guard vessels, patrolling the Ren’ai Reef, identified two ships loaded with construction materials and carrying the flags of the Philippines, approaching the reef on Sunday.
Having been warned by the Chinese vessels, the two Philippine ships left the reef, referred to as “Ayungin Shoal” by the Philippines, on Sunday afternoon, according to Qin.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren’ai Reef,” said the spokesman.
Qin recalled how a Philippine warship had illegally grounded on the Ren’ai Reef in 1999, claiming it had been stranded. Since then, China has repeatedly demanded the Philippines retrieve the warship, but all requests have been ignored and with “technical reasons” cited for the failure to do so, Qin said.
This time, again the Philippine side attempted to start construction on the reef, he said. “The moves infringed China’s sovereignty and violated the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea.”
China had no choice but to respond to the Philippines’ moves, he said.
Formerly a ship in the navy of the Philippines, BRP Sierra Madre is stuck in Ayungin Shoal, 25 miles from Mischief Reef occupied by the Chinese
Philippine marines monitor the situation at Ayungin Shoal from a purposely grounded landing ship tank (LST), BRP 57 Sierra Madre. (PA)
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
South China Sea: Chinese military presence “more assertive and aggressive” — Philippines reports
January 18, 2014
MANILA, Philippines – A more assertive and aggressive Chinese military presence has been monitored near the Philippine garrison on Ayungin Shoal, located in the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
A confidential government report, obtained by TV5, indicates the “assertive and aggressive” stance of China could be part a renewed and possibly a more determined effort to remove Philippine military presence on Ayungin Shoal and from the whole Spratly Islands group. A dilapidated Philippine Navy Ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, was grounded on the shoal in 1999 and now serves as the barracks and command facility of Philippine Marines deployed there.
China had accused the Philippines of intentionally grounding the BRP Sierra Madre as part of what it claimed was an occupation strategy. Since then, China has made repeated demands that the ship and soldiers be removed. In 2013, Beijing offered to remove the BRP Sierra Madre at no cost to the Philippines.
Philippines.
Larger graphics:
https://www.facebook.com/john.carey.39982/media_set?set
=a.465798866859743.1073747217.100002889011045&type=1
Consistent demand
Ayungin Shoal, internationally known as Second Thomas Shoal, is located 108 nautical miles from Palawan and is only 13 nautical miles southeast of Mischief Reef, where China has built a formidable garrison.
The confidential report states that China has been consistent with its demand that Manila remove the BRP Sierra Madre. It points out that in 2013, Beijing began stepping up the pressure.
On April 19, 2013, China sent a strongly worded communication demanding that the Philippine government remove the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal “but this time, they are also insinuating the removal and/or dismantling of all Philippine structures in the entire West Philippine Sea – citing the area as Chinese territory.”
“It must be noted that China has heightened its presence in the area as evidenced by the continuous sightings of Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) and People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLAN) vessels immediately after it conveyed its intentions to the Philippine government,” the report stated.
The increased presence of Chinese patrols in the disputed territory is particularly worrisome for Manila as the report points out the vessels may block supply routes to starve out the Philippine garrison.
“Although it is expected that the presence of CMS and PLA Navy ships will be regularly sighted in the area, the positioning or encircling of the Philippine Navy vessel by the Chinese could be an indication that China might block Philippine troops of their much needed supply and thus force the deployed soldiers to eventually withdraw in the area,” the report noted.
Aerial Surveillance photos taken in August 2013 show a Chinese Coast Guard ship, with bow number 3164, anchored off Ayungin Shoal and in full view of the BRP Sierra Madre.
Other photos show the presence of Chinese naval warships, including a frigate, and Chinese Coast Guard ships anchored off Mischief Reef.
Last May 2013, the Philippine government report said a Chinese missile armed frigate, Janghu–V class with bow number 563, was stationed close to Ayungin Shoal.
China has also maintained two to three ships near the shoal for the whole of 2013 and sent aircraft to fly over the Philippine garrison on Ayungin Shoal.
PLA Navy ship DAYUN class 884 JINGPOHU, operating to supply PLA garrisons on the Paracel (Xisha) and Spratley (Nansha) Islands.
No plan to withdraw
According to the report, the Philippine Navy has made it clear it “has no plan of withdrawing/removing the ship from the shoal.”
The Chinese garrison on Mischief Reef is capable of sustaining and supporting naval patrols in the Spratlys for extended periods and PLA Navy ships are “rotationally deployed” there.
The Spratly Island Group is a cluster of small islands, reefs and shoal covering 150,000 square miles in the South China Sea. The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei are claiming either in whole or in part as their territory.
China has built heavily fortified garrisons, complete with radar, helipads and piers, in several areas well inside the Philippine claimed territory.
Chinese media recently reported that the People’s Liberation Army had prepared an combat plan to “re – take” Pag–asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group, which is part of Palawan.
Pag–asa Island is where the main Filipino community in the Kalayaan Island Group is located.
Chinese media reports added that the Chinese plan limits military activity to the Spratlys and that Beijing would not invade Philippine territories.
The Philippine government acknowledges the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre, although dilapidated, serves as deterrent to China. “The presence of the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal prevents China from controlling and ultimately taking back ownership,” the report said.
It went on to say that China is also sensitive to world opinion and if it forcibly asserts its sovereignty in the disputed areas, “it may negatively project them as invaders or predators…in the international community as it will violate the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.”
The Code of Conduct, signed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China in 2002, binds claimant countries to avoid any action that may worsen tensions over territorial disputes.
A confidential government report, obtained by TV5, indicates the “assertive and aggressive” stance of China could be part a renewed and possibly a more determined effort to remove Philippine military presence on Ayungin Shoal and from the whole Spratly Islands group. A dilapidated Philippine Navy Ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, was grounded on the shoal in 1999 and now serves as the barracks and command facility of Philippine Marines deployed there.
China had accused the Philippines of intentionally grounding the BRP Sierra Madre as part of what it claimed was an occupation strategy. Since then, China has made repeated demands that the ship and soldiers be removed. In 2013, Beijing offered to remove the BRP Sierra Madre at no cost to the Philippines.
Philippines.
Larger graphics:
https://www.facebook.com/john.carey.39982/media_set?set
=a.465798866859743.1073747217.100002889011045&type=1
Consistent demand
Ayungin Shoal, internationally known as Second Thomas Shoal, is located 108 nautical miles from Palawan and is only 13 nautical miles southeast of Mischief Reef, where China has built a formidable garrison.
The confidential report states that China has been consistent with its demand that Manila remove the BRP Sierra Madre. It points out that in 2013, Beijing began stepping up the pressure.
On April 19, 2013, China sent a strongly worded communication demanding that the Philippine government remove the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal “but this time, they are also insinuating the removal and/or dismantling of all Philippine structures in the entire West Philippine Sea – citing the area as Chinese territory.”
“It must be noted that China has heightened its presence in the area as evidenced by the continuous sightings of Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) and People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLAN) vessels immediately after it conveyed its intentions to the Philippine government,” the report stated.
The increased presence of Chinese patrols in the disputed territory is particularly worrisome for Manila as the report points out the vessels may block supply routes to starve out the Philippine garrison.
“Although it is expected that the presence of CMS and PLA Navy ships will be regularly sighted in the area, the positioning or encircling of the Philippine Navy vessel by the Chinese could be an indication that China might block Philippine troops of their much needed supply and thus force the deployed soldiers to eventually withdraw in the area,” the report noted.
Aerial Surveillance photos taken in August 2013 show a Chinese Coast Guard ship, with bow number 3164, anchored off Ayungin Shoal and in full view of the BRP Sierra Madre.
Other photos show the presence of Chinese naval warships, including a frigate, and Chinese Coast Guard ships anchored off Mischief Reef.
Last May 2013, the Philippine government report said a Chinese missile armed frigate, Janghu–V class with bow number 563, was stationed close to Ayungin Shoal.
China has also maintained two to three ships near the shoal for the whole of 2013 and sent aircraft to fly over the Philippine garrison on Ayungin Shoal.
PLA Navy ship DAYUN class 884 JINGPOHU, operating to supply PLA garrisons on the Paracel (Xisha) and Spratley (Nansha) Islands.
No plan to withdraw
According to the report, the Philippine Navy has made it clear it “has no plan of withdrawing/removing the ship from the shoal.”
The Chinese garrison on Mischief Reef is capable of sustaining and supporting naval patrols in the Spratlys for extended periods and PLA Navy ships are “rotationally deployed” there.
The Spratly Island Group is a cluster of small islands, reefs and shoal covering 150,000 square miles in the South China Sea. The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei are claiming either in whole or in part as their territory.
China has built heavily fortified garrisons, complete with radar, helipads and piers, in several areas well inside the Philippine claimed territory.
Chinese media recently reported that the People’s Liberation Army had prepared an combat plan to “re – take” Pag–asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group, which is part of Palawan.
Pag–asa Island is where the main Filipino community in the Kalayaan Island Group is located.
Chinese media reports added that the Chinese plan limits military activity to the Spratlys and that Beijing would not invade Philippine territories.
The Philippine government acknowledges the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre, although dilapidated, serves as deterrent to China. “The presence of the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal prevents China from controlling and ultimately taking back ownership,” the report said.
It went on to say that China is also sensitive to world opinion and if it forcibly asserts its sovereignty in the disputed areas, “it may negatively project them as invaders or predators…in the international community as it will violate the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.”
The Code of Conduct, signed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China in 2002, binds claimant countries to avoid any action that may worsen tensions over territorial disputes.
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BRP Sierra Madre, an aged World War II-era warship in Philippine service, is aground and stranded — but it offers Philippine Marines a small base in the South China Sea.
South China Sea: Despite China’s violation of international law, some find ways around “China’s Law”
January 9, 2014
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When Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed into the South China Sea last month, Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr., the man who governs the Philippine town within the contested Spratly Islands, was the least bothered.
By Tarra Quismundo ,Philippine Daily Inquirer Asia News Network
January 9, 2014, 12:00 am TWN
China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning is not yet fully operational and has no aircraft assigned
Apparently, Bito-onon’s town of Kalayaan on Pag-asa Island — among contested territories just off the Philippines’ western province of Palawan — remains largely untouched by the chatter in high places.
For the local chief, headline-making exchanges among diplomats and generals “upstairs” remain mostly just words — rhetoric often heard but which rarely really mean anything.
“Actually, if you go there, fishermen from Hong Kong, Hainan (the Chinese province), Vietnam, Malaysia go about their usual business casually, even fishing side by side at the reef.
“But if you read the papers, you see that (officials) just don’t stop talking, as if war will begin tomorrow,” said Bito-onon.
“People can go fishing. They even exchange signals with Chinese fishermen who would approach to ask if there is pawikan (sea turtle) for sale,” the mayor said casually, making reference to the endangered species that remain a hot commodity to poachers.
The mayor spoke by phone from Palawan’s capital Puerto Princesa, where he stays to transact government business he is unable to do in his town owing to distance and limited infrastructure.
Once a month, he travels to Pag-asa Island — around 52 hours of travel by sea from the city or two and a half if he catches the military plane — and spends around two weeks at a time.
“If you ask about the impact on the ground, there’s still none. But up there (in government), in terms of technicalities, diplomatic implications, you see it come out in the papers.
“There’s a show of fighter planes, weapons … Sometimes, just looking at them gets irritating,” said the mayor, laughing as he spoke.
Sure, there have been incidents: Bito-onon recalled how a Chinese maritime surveillance ship tracked a Filipino fishing vessel near the Ayungin Shoal and called out through a bullhorn: “Go back to the Philippines.”
In May, a boat carrying the mayor himself, with a group of some 200 people, was trailed by Chinese patrol vessels during a visit to the shoal, located some 100 nautical miles (185.2 kilometers) from Pag-Asa Island and close to Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef.
But for Bito-onon, it’s no big deal.
“I am calm because, maybe it’s the experience. I have been going back and forth to Pag-asa lsland for the last 15 years,” said the mayor of the town established in 1978 as a separate Palawan municipality. Such a counterintuitive yet honest take on Asia Pacific’s biggest flashpoint stands in stark contrast with how top Philippine officials regard the unresolved dispute with China: a threat to the country’s sovereignty and national security so compelling, it sought the United Nations’ intervention earlier this year and began to build up external defense with its main ally, the United States.
And to assert the country’s claims to the resource-rich territories, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III last year renamed part of the South China Sea within the country’s 200-nautical mile (370-kilometer) exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea, encompassing the Scarborough Shoal and parts of the Spratlys.
The mayor, however, is leaving the tough talk to the pros.
“If the aircraft carrier is on its way to Pag-asa, maybe China just wants to put it on display. Of course, it’s their first aircraft carrier,” Bito-onon said in half-jest.
“I don’t believe that they will use their aircraft carrier to attack our islands. That will be too much … an overkill,” he said.
If the official closer than most to the dispute is shrugging off Beijing’s latest military movement in the South China Sea, those who face television cameras in Manila and speak on the nation’s behalf could not be more serious about the continuing Chinese military buildup in the disputed seas.
In condemning the deployment, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Liaoning’s journey into the disputed waters “raises tension” in the region.
“Its deployment does not contribute to collective efforts to strengthen regional stability and instead serves to threaten the status quo,” said Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, foreign affairs spokesperson, in a briefing last month.
The next day, DFA took on China’s declaration of a unilateral Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over islands in the East China Sea to assert its claims over Japan.
Hernandez called out China for turning “the entire air zone into its domestic air space.”
In a press briefing where he did not entertain questions, Hernandez said the Chinese declaration “infringes on the freedom of flight in international air space and compromises the safety of civil aviation and national security of affected states.”
The Philippines’ defense and foreign ministers also separately expressed concern that China might seize control of the air space in the West Philippine Sea.
“If China were to head that way as far as we are concerned, that would be a significant problem for all the claimant states of the South China Sea because there is this threat that China will control the air space [in the West Philippine Sea],” said Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a television interview in November.
Del Rosario did not grant an interview for this story.
In every forum, however, Del Rosario has consistently asserted the Philippine position: that China should stop incursions into the Philippines’ maritime boundaries and negotiate with ASEAN a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) to govern the waters.
Speaking before the business community in Makati City in October, Del Rosario, a top businessman before his entry into public service, reiterated the Philippines’ continuing protest to China’s historical nine-dash line claim — Beijing’s main argument against all other partial claims to the territories by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
“It (nine-dash line) is a claim that is expansive, excessive and in gross violation of international law.”
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The key land in the dispute between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal, called Panatag by Filipinos and often Huangyan Island by Chinese.
Above: About half of the world’s oil tanker traffic passes through the South China Sea
When Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed into the South China Sea last month, Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr., the man who governs the Philippine town within the contested Spratly Islands, was the least bothered.
By Tarra Quismundo ,Philippine Daily Inquirer Asia News Network
January 9, 2014, 12:00 am TWN
China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning is not yet fully operational and has no aircraft assigned
Apparently, Bito-onon’s town of Kalayaan on Pag-asa Island — among contested territories just off the Philippines’ western province of Palawan — remains largely untouched by the chatter in high places.
For the local chief, headline-making exchanges among diplomats and generals “upstairs” remain mostly just words — rhetoric often heard but which rarely really mean anything.
“Actually, if you go there, fishermen from Hong Kong, Hainan (the Chinese province), Vietnam, Malaysia go about their usual business casually, even fishing side by side at the reef.
“But if you read the papers, you see that (officials) just don’t stop talking, as if war will begin tomorrow,” said Bito-onon.
“People can go fishing. They even exchange signals with Chinese fishermen who would approach to ask if there is pawikan (sea turtle) for sale,” the mayor said casually, making reference to the endangered species that remain a hot commodity to poachers.
The mayor spoke by phone from Palawan’s capital Puerto Princesa, where he stays to transact government business he is unable to do in his town owing to distance and limited infrastructure.
Once a month, he travels to Pag-asa Island — around 52 hours of travel by sea from the city or two and a half if he catches the military plane — and spends around two weeks at a time.
“If you ask about the impact on the ground, there’s still none. But up there (in government), in terms of technicalities, diplomatic implications, you see it come out in the papers.
“There’s a show of fighter planes, weapons … Sometimes, just looking at them gets irritating,” said the mayor, laughing as he spoke.
Sure, there have been incidents: Bito-onon recalled how a Chinese maritime surveillance ship tracked a Filipino fishing vessel near the Ayungin Shoal and called out through a bullhorn: “Go back to the Philippines.”
In May, a boat carrying the mayor himself, with a group of some 200 people, was trailed by Chinese patrol vessels during a visit to the shoal, located some 100 nautical miles (185.2 kilometers) from Pag-Asa Island and close to Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef.
But for Bito-onon, it’s no big deal.
“I am calm because, maybe it’s the experience. I have been going back and forth to Pag-asa lsland for the last 15 years,” said the mayor of the town established in 1978 as a separate Palawan municipality. Such a counterintuitive yet honest take on Asia Pacific’s biggest flashpoint stands in stark contrast with how top Philippine officials regard the unresolved dispute with China: a threat to the country’s sovereignty and national security so compelling, it sought the United Nations’ intervention earlier this year and began to build up external defense with its main ally, the United States.
And to assert the country’s claims to the resource-rich territories, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III last year renamed part of the South China Sea within the country’s 200-nautical mile (370-kilometer) exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea, encompassing the Scarborough Shoal and parts of the Spratlys.
“If the aircraft carrier is on its way to Pag-asa, maybe China just wants to put it on display. Of course, it’s their first aircraft carrier,” Bito-onon said in half-jest.
“I don’t believe that they will use their aircraft carrier to attack our islands. That will be too much … an overkill,” he said.
If the official closer than most to the dispute is shrugging off Beijing’s latest military movement in the South China Sea, those who face television cameras in Manila and speak on the nation’s behalf could not be more serious about the continuing Chinese military buildup in the disputed seas.
In condemning the deployment, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Liaoning’s journey into the disputed waters “raises tension” in the region.
“Its deployment does not contribute to collective efforts to strengthen regional stability and instead serves to threaten the status quo,” said Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, foreign affairs spokesperson, in a briefing last month.
The next day, DFA took on China’s declaration of a unilateral Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over islands in the East China Sea to assert its claims over Japan.
Hernandez called out China for turning “the entire air zone into its domestic air space.”
In a press briefing where he did not entertain questions, Hernandez said the Chinese declaration “infringes on the freedom of flight in international air space and compromises the safety of civil aviation and national security of affected states.”
The Philippines’ defense and foreign ministers also separately expressed concern that China might seize control of the air space in the West Philippine Sea.
“If China were to head that way as far as we are concerned, that would be a significant problem for all the claimant states of the South China Sea because there is this threat that China will control the air space [in the West Philippine Sea],” said Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a television interview in November.
Del Rosario did not grant an interview for this story.
In every forum, however, Del Rosario has consistently asserted the Philippine position: that China should stop incursions into the Philippines’ maritime boundaries and negotiate with ASEAN a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) to govern the waters.
Speaking before the business community in Makati City in October, Del Rosario, a top businessman before his entry into public service, reiterated the Philippines’ continuing protest to China’s historical nine-dash line claim — Beijing’s main argument against all other partial claims to the territories by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
“It (nine-dash line) is a claim that is expansive, excessive and in gross violation of international law.”
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The key land in the dispute between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal, called Panatag by Filipinos and often Huangyan Island by Chinese.
Above: About half of the world’s oil tanker traffic passes through the South China Sea
Vice President Joe Biden inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Lintao Zhang / AFP / Getty Images
.
Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and then Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing talking about the Ayungin Shoal issue in an informal talk in Camp Aguinaldo in 2013. (Photo by ALEXIS ROMERO)
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BRP Sierra Madre, an aged World War II-era warship in Philippine service, is aground and stranded — but it offers Philippine Marines a small base in the South China Sea.
Philippine Troops Begin Deployments in Pag-Asa Island in the Spratlys, South China Sea
January 6, 2014
By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 5, 2014 – 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – The military yesterday started its rotation of Air Force and naval contingents for deployments in Pag-Asa Island in the Spratlys.
Originally scheduled before Christmas, the airmen were not immediately relieved by their counterparts at Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Command (AFP-Wescom) headquarters in Palawan due to the prevailing weather system hovering over the region for the entire month of December.
Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. confirmed the deployment of fresh troops in the island municipality.
Since the sea around the island is very rough, Wescom has started shuttling new Air Force troops to the island town using a Navy plane, giving the islanders a chance to visit Palawan aboard the returning Navy aircraft.
Pag-Asa Island is located within the hotly contested Spratlys archipelago area but is closer by several miles to mainland Palawan than from the coastline of Vietnam, which is laying maritime claim over the region along with China, Brunei and Taiwan.
All claimant countries except Brunei have troops deployed in the region, with China becoming more aggressive in pressing its maritime claim to almost 80 percent of the entire South China Sea by deploying its warships and surveillance vessels to conduct regular maritime patrol over the area.
The other day, Beijing announced the completion of the training exercises of its aircraft carrier Liaoning in the region.
The training exercises almost resulted in a naval confrontation between a Chinese frigate and the US warship USS Cowpens in December.
Aside from the airmen who are deployed on rotation basis in Pag-Asa Island, the seat of Kalayaan Island town with a current population of almost 200 civilian inhabitants including children, contingents from the Philippine Navy are also stationed in the area to bolster the country’s territorial hold over the seven islets and two shoals in the region.
“We don’t monitor any naval activities of China out there because of the prevailing weather. The sea is very rough and it is very dangerous for any ship to venture out in the open sea for now,” Bito-onon said.
He added that he has yet to receive reports from local fishermen if the two Chinese maritime vessels have returned to Ayungin Shoal. The vessels left the area last month after taking up position near the shoal for several months.
Ayungin Shoal is located between Pag-Asa Island and mainland Palawan.
China, insisting that the shoal is an integral part of its maritime domain, has tried to dislodge a contingent of Marine troops stationed in the shoal aboard the grounded Navy logistic ship BRP Sierra Madre.
Originally scheduled before Christmas, the airmen were not immediately relieved by their counterparts at Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Command (AFP-Wescom) headquarters in Palawan due to the prevailing weather system hovering over the region for the entire month of December.
Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. confirmed the deployment of fresh troops in the island municipality.
Since the sea around the island is very rough, Wescom has started shuttling new Air Force troops to the island town using a Navy plane, giving the islanders a chance to visit Palawan aboard the returning Navy aircraft.
Pag-Asa Island is located within the hotly contested Spratlys archipelago area but is closer by several miles to mainland Palawan than from the coastline of Vietnam, which is laying maritime claim over the region along with China, Brunei and Taiwan.
All claimant countries except Brunei have troops deployed in the region, with China becoming more aggressive in pressing its maritime claim to almost 80 percent of the entire South China Sea by deploying its warships and surveillance vessels to conduct regular maritime patrol over the area.
The training exercises almost resulted in a naval confrontation between a Chinese frigate and the US warship USS Cowpens in December.
Aside from the airmen who are deployed on rotation basis in Pag-Asa Island, the seat of Kalayaan Island town with a current population of almost 200 civilian inhabitants including children, contingents from the Philippine Navy are also stationed in the area to bolster the country’s territorial hold over the seven islets and two shoals in the region.
“We don’t monitor any naval activities of China out there because of the prevailing weather. The sea is very rough and it is very dangerous for any ship to venture out in the open sea for now,” Bito-onon said.
He added that he has yet to receive reports from local fishermen if the two Chinese maritime vessels have returned to Ayungin Shoal. The vessels left the area last month after taking up position near the shoal for several months.
Ayungin Shoal is located between Pag-Asa Island and mainland Palawan.
China, insisting that the shoal is an integral part of its maritime domain, has tried to dislodge a contingent of Marine troops stationed in the shoal aboard the grounded Navy logistic ship BRP Sierra Madre.
“These Islands Are Worth Defending: Whatever the Cost”
December 6, 2013
4 December 2013 Last updated at 11:36 GMT
The East China Sea has been the focus of tension between various countries in recent months.
China has declared an “air defence identification zone” around the disputed Senkaku/Diayou islands.
Both the US and Japan have said they do not intend to observe the rules implemented by China.
Now there are fears a zone could be imposed in the South China Sea region.
China, Taiwan and Vietnam are among the nations laying claim to small, often uninhabited islands.
Humphrey Hawskley is the first international journalist to be given access to the remote island of Dongsha in the South China Sea.
Video:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25214119
.
Related:
Asia Worries About China’s Bold Expansion of Air and Sea Domain
Aquino: Philippines Will Fight Against China Air Zone Over South China Sea
What’s China’s Next Move In Sea Disputes? A South China Sea ADIZ
China Claims All Shipwrecks Within the South China Sea
China’s Ambassador To The Philippines Says China Has a “Sovereign Right to Establish an Air Defense Zone” Over The South China Sea
Philippines Takes Note Of China’s Air Zone Near Japan
This chart shows the Air Defense Identification Zone or ADIZ declared by China on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The key land in the dispute between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal, called Panatag by Filipinos and often Huangyan Island by Chinese.
Above: About half of the world’s oil tanker traffic passes through the South China Sea
Both the US and Japan have said they do not intend to observe the rules implemented by China.
Now there are fears a zone could be imposed in the South China Sea region.
China, Taiwan and Vietnam are among the nations laying claim to small, often uninhabited islands.
Humphrey Hawskley is the first international journalist to be given access to the remote island of Dongsha in the South China Sea.
Video:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25214119
.
Related:
Asia Worries About China’s Bold Expansion of Air and Sea Domain
Aquino: Philippines Will Fight Against China Air Zone Over South China Sea
What’s China’s Next Move In Sea Disputes? A South China Sea ADIZ
China Claims All Shipwrecks Within the South China Sea
China’s Ambassador To The Philippines Says China Has a “Sovereign Right to Establish an Air Defense Zone” Over The South China Sea
Philippines Takes Note Of China’s Air Zone Near Japan
This chart shows the Air Defense Identification Zone or ADIZ declared by China on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
The key land in the dispute between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal, called Panatag by Filipinos and often Huangyan Island by Chinese.
Above: About half of the world’s oil tanker traffic passes through the South China Sea
.
Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing talking about the Ayungin Shoal issue in an informal talk in Camp Aguinaldo earlier this year. (Photo by ALEXIS ROMERO)
China’s Ambassador To The Philippines Says China Has a “Sovereign Right to Establish an Air Defense Zone” Over The South China Sea
December 2, 2013
By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press
December 2, 2013
China has a sovereign right to establish a maritime air defense zone over another region as it did in the East China Sea, the Chinese envoy to the Philippines said Monday.
The United States and key Asian allies have not honored the East China Sea zone, which was announced on Nov. 23 and is seen primarily as a bid to bolster China’s claim over uninhabited Japanese-controlled islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The Philippines is locked in a long territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.
When asked to comment about concerns that China might set up a similar zone over the South China Sea, Ambassador Ma Keqing said in a newsconference that it was within the right of the Chinese government to decide “where and when to set up the new air identification zone.”
Chinese envoy Ma Keqing
But she added she could not tell at this time if China would do so.
Ma said that the East China Sea zone’s designation should not spark concerns.
“I think the target is not to trigger a conflict but to prevent, to pre-empt any tension to be raised in these areas,” Ma said. “This will not hinder any normal freedom of flights within this area if they’ve notified the Chinese authorities.”
The new U.S. ambassador to Manila, Philip Goldberg, described China’s move as dangerous.
“We do not believe that this is a move intended to build confidence or, in any other way, improve the situation,” Goldberg told reporters.
Instead, China’s new zone “will create tension and the possibility of miscalculations and that’s never good, especially in an area where we know that, whether it’s over the Senkakus or … the South China Sea.”
While the U.S. has not recognized the Chinese imposition, it has advised its carriers to comply to be safe.
“We can’t, with commercial aircraft, take chances, as I mentioned, of miscalculation, so we have recommended to our commercial airlines that they give such notification,” Goldberg said.
China has said that all aircraft entering the zone of international waters between China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan must notify Chinese authorities beforehand and that it would take unspecified defensive measures against those that don’t comply.
China has been locked over increasingly-tense disputes over potentially oil- and gas-rich territories in the South China Sea with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
While recent territorial spats between Beijing and Manila have particularly been antagonistic, China has extended help to the Philippines, which was devastated by a Nov. 8 typhoon that left more than 5,600 people dead and 1,700 others missing.
Ma witnessed the turnover in Manila of three new payloaders donated Monday by Chinese companies to the Philippine Red Cross for clearing debris and rebuilding homes in the worst-hit central city of Tacloban.
“This typhoon provided an opportunity for the Chinese people to help the Philippine people, to show the traditional friendship between the two countries,” Ma said. “This strong bond will live on despite all the differences we have.”
Related:
Philippines Takes Note Of China’s Air Zone Near Japan
China continues a territorial dispute with Japan in the East China Sea over the islands called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China
The two countries have argued for decades over the islands, which Japan controls. They are also claimed by Taiwan. Pictured: A Japanese fighter jet.
This chart shows the Air Defense Identification Zone or ADIZ declared by China on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
The key land in the dispute between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal, called Panatag by Filipinos and often Huangyan Island by Chinese.
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
Above: About half of the world’s oil tanker traffic passes through the South China Sea
December 2, 2013
China has a sovereign right to establish a maritime air defense zone over another region as it did in the East China Sea, the Chinese envoy to the Philippines said Monday.
The United States and key Asian allies have not honored the East China Sea zone, which was announced on Nov. 23 and is seen primarily as a bid to bolster China’s claim over uninhabited Japanese-controlled islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The Philippines is locked in a long territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.
When asked to comment about concerns that China might set up a similar zone over the South China Sea, Ambassador Ma Keqing said in a newsconference that it was within the right of the Chinese government to decide “where and when to set up the new air identification zone.”
Chinese envoy Ma Keqing
But she added she could not tell at this time if China would do so.
Ma said that the East China Sea zone’s designation should not spark concerns.
“I think the target is not to trigger a conflict but to prevent, to pre-empt any tension to be raised in these areas,” Ma said. “This will not hinder any normal freedom of flights within this area if they’ve notified the Chinese authorities.”
The new U.S. ambassador to Manila, Philip Goldberg, described China’s move as dangerous.
“We do not believe that this is a move intended to build confidence or, in any other way, improve the situation,” Goldberg told reporters.
Instead, China’s new zone “will create tension and the possibility of miscalculations and that’s never good, especially in an area where we know that, whether it’s over the Senkakus or … the South China Sea.”
While the U.S. has not recognized the Chinese imposition, it has advised its carriers to comply to be safe.
“We can’t, with commercial aircraft, take chances, as I mentioned, of miscalculation, so we have recommended to our commercial airlines that they give such notification,” Goldberg said.
China has said that all aircraft entering the zone of international waters between China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan must notify Chinese authorities beforehand and that it would take unspecified defensive measures against those that don’t comply.
China has been locked over increasingly-tense disputes over potentially oil- and gas-rich territories in the South China Sea with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
While recent territorial spats between Beijing and Manila have particularly been antagonistic, China has extended help to the Philippines, which was devastated by a Nov. 8 typhoon that left more than 5,600 people dead and 1,700 others missing.
Ma witnessed the turnover in Manila of three new payloaders donated Monday by Chinese companies to the Philippine Red Cross for clearing debris and rebuilding homes in the worst-hit central city of Tacloban.
“This typhoon provided an opportunity for the Chinese people to help the Philippine people, to show the traditional friendship between the two countries,” Ma said. “This strong bond will live on despite all the differences we have.”
Related:
Philippines Takes Note Of China’s Air Zone Near Japan
China continues a territorial dispute with Japan in the East China Sea over the islands called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China
The two countries have argued for decades over the islands, which Japan controls. They are also claimed by Taiwan. Pictured: A Japanese fighter jet.
This chart shows the Air Defense Identification Zone or ADIZ declared by China on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
The key land in the dispute between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal, called Panatag by Filipinos and often Huangyan Island by Chinese.
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
Above: About half of the world’s oil tanker traffic passes through the South China Sea
.
Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing talking about the Ayungin Shoal issue in an informal talk in Camp Aguinaldo earlier this year. (Photo by ALEXIS ROMERO)
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BRP Sierra Madre
By: Jaime Sinapit, InterAksyon.com
November 11, 2013
November 11, 2013
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