PH and China’s dispute on territorial claims, now global concern

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The dispute between the developments in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea, have become a global concern.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, together with the Philippine officials, are keeping their attention to the issue that became a global concern, including the massive sovereignty of China to almost over entire West Philippine Sea.

Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre, Philippine permanent representative to the UN, addressed to the Legal Committee of the UN General Assembly last Oct. 16 the root cause of the dispute was the “indisputable sovereignty” claim of China over the 90% of the South China Sea, also called the nine-dash line.

“The so-called nine-dash line is an excessive and expansive claim, and does not have legitimacy under international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” Yparraguirre said in a report by Pia Lee-Bargo of The Philippine Star.

Yparraguirre also highlighted the achievement of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the multilateral treaty process with the United Nations (UN), and having Philippines’ total commitment to its peaceful approach to the resolution of maritime disputes.

Ambassador Lourdes added in the report that maritime and territorial claims should not be asserted through intimidation, coercion or force, including through massive, large-scale ocean filling or reclamation or illegally creating artificial islands in the high seas and in the exclusive economic zone of another coastal state.

The Ambassador also said that China’s establishment activities in the West Philippine Sea have destroyed coral reefs and marine ecosystem, which violated the mandate to protect the marine environment under Articles 192 and 194 of UNCLOS.