China accuses Manila of deliberately 'misrepresenting' UNCLOS

From InterAksyon (Nov 26): China accuses Manila of deliberately 'misrepresenting' UNCLOS

Beijing on Monday accused Manila of deliberately misinterpreting an international treaty to bolster its claims over some parts of the West Philippine Sea. In so doing, the Philippines is violating fundamental principles of international law on territorial sovereignty, China asserted. The China National Institute for South China Sea, in a statement, disputed the Philippines' claim that what it calls the Huangyan islands (Scarborough Shoal in what the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea) is within 125 nautical miles of Luzon island, and therefore within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as provided for by the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas. The UN Convention, called UNCLOS, delineates areas within 200 nautical miles of its land as a country's EEZ.

"Clearly, the Philippines here has misinterpreted and misapplied UNCLOS on the basis of its own interests, which is contrary to international law and to UNCLOS. It has been an established basic principle of international law that 'the land dominates the sea,'" the China National Institute for South China Sea said in excerpts of a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Manila. "Coastal states derive their sovereign rights and jurisdiction over EEZs from their territorial sovereignty." The Chinese statement comes as several countries, the Philippines included, protest Beijing's new passport, which bears a map that includes parts of the protesting states' claimed territories. Among those that have filed protests against China are India, Vietnam and Taiwan.....

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/48921/china-accuses-manila-of-deliberately-misrepresenting-unclos