Justice Carpio debunks China’s claim over entire South China Sea

Justice Antonio T. Carpio. Photo courtesy of Supreme Court website.

MANILA — Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio on Monday debunked the territorial claim of China over almost the entire South China Sea by citing historical facts.

The statement was made by Carpio during his lecture in the De La Salle University on Monday.

According to Carpio, if the ancient maps of China will be the basis, particularly the first map of China, the Hainan Island is its southern tip territory which had the ancient name of Zhuya, Qiongya and Qiongzhou.

The Hainan Island, Carpio said, in the last many centuries is part of Guangdong Province before it became a separate province in 1988.

Carpio added that the sea expedition of Chinese Imperial Admiral Zheng He from 1405 to 1433 cannot be made as basis for the territorial claim over the South China Sea.

He stressed that Spain and Portugal also cannot revive their 15th century claim over all the seas of the world despite the 1481 Papal Bull confirming the partition of the still undiscovered territories between Spain and Portugal.

Carpio pointed out that even the historical name cannot also be made as a basis for the territorial claim because in fact, the name of South China Sea did not originate from the Chinese sea voyagers, but rather, it emanated from the European sea voyagers.

He cited that the Indian Ocean cannot be claimed by India, the Gulf of Mexico also cannot be claimed by Mexico and the Philippine Sea cannot be claimed by the Philippines as well.