The Philippines’ provocative president, Rodrigo Duterte, was courting controversy again this week, asserting casually on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Singapore that China was already in possession of the entire South China Sea.
The contested waters are home to more than 250 land features, variously claimed and occupied by countries including China and the Philippines.
On Friday, Philippine Chief Justice Antonio Carpio corrected the record.
“Factually, China is not in possession of the South China Sea,” Carpio was quoted by ABS-CBN news as saying during a speech.
“About 25% of the South China Sea are high seas. Under UNCLOS, no state can possess or own the high seas, which belong to all mankind. Under UNCLOS, there is freedom of navigation and overflight in the high seas for all nations,” he said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The territory that China does control accounts for “less than 8% of the total area of the South China Sea,” noted Carpio, who was one of the lawyers who represented Manila in the arbitration at The Hague challenging China’s South China Sea claims.
The back and forth between the two Philippine voices comes as member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are caught between the competing interests of the United States and China, a reality that Singaporean President Lee Hsien Loong articulated this week.
It is “very desirable” for the bloc of Southeast Asian nations to avoid picking sides, but it may be inevitable for countries to “have to choose one or the other,” he said.
Nigel Edwards poison? Systemic o Contact?
Nigel Edwards poison? Systemic o Contact?
Samuel Clemens Can You tell me why the Philippines coast guard fired real bullets to Taiwan’s fishermen in Taiwan’ s EEZ and arrested China’s fishermen in Scarborough Shoal? The issues on the overlapping EEZ can be solved through dialogue, however, in the past, it is the Philippines that did not want to discuss the overlapping issues. Now Philippine’s fishermen can fish in Scarborough Shoal through dialogue.
Samuel Clemens Can You tell me why the Philippines coast guard fired real bullets to Taiwan’s fishermen in Taiwan’ s EEZ and arrested China’s fishermen in Scarborough Shoal? The issues on the overlapping EEZ can be solved through dialogue, however, in the past, it is the Philippines that did not want to discuss the overlapping issues. Now Philippine’s fishermen can fish in Scarborough Shoal through dialogue.
Steve Jiau then why china is owning the whole SCS and restricting our fishermen? why do they have to be fired water cannon? if we are in our EEZ, we have the right for its resources. i do not know if you know, that some of your navy men grabbed our fishermens’ catch for a expired noodles.
Steve Jiau then why china is owning the whole SCS and restricting our fishermen? why do they have to be fired water cannon? if we are in our EEZ, we have the right for its resources. i do not know if you know, that some of your navy men grabbed our fishermens’ catch for a expired noodles.
And whose lapdog are you?
And whose lapdog are you?