PH verifying new sightings of Chinese ships off Palawan

From InterAksyon (Jul 25): PH verifying new sightings of Chinese ships off Palawan

The Philippines is verifying reports that another armed Coast Guard vessel from China has been sighted in a Philippine-claimed area in the West Philippine Sea, two days after Beijing launched an integrated Coast Guard system that has armed more ships to patrol what it calls its maritime domain.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said Thursday that while the latest sighting is still being validated, matters like this could raise the level of tensions in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) that China claims in its entirety.

“We are still trying to verify this information,” Hernandez said at a press conference, “…but in principle such activity is inconsistent with the spirit of the declaration on the conduct of parties on the South China Sea.”

The latest report had said that another Chinese Coast Guard vessel was seen in the Panganiban Reef area near Palawan.

Of late, Chinese military and naval activity had raised the alarm in Tokyo, as Chinese vessels were spotted near Japan’s territorial waters around the East China Sea islands.

China and Japan are both claiming an island chain there, which Japan calls Senkakus, and China calls Diaoyu.

The Japanese government served notice it is closely monitoring China’s activities, especially after a Chinese fighter jet flew near its territory.

Meanwhile, Hernandez appealed to Beijing to respect Philippine maritime territory and international law. “It is also inconsistent with the efforts exerted by ASEAN (Association of the South East Asian Nation) to build confidence among parties as it raises the level of tension in that area,” he said.

His call came a day after some 30 citizens’ groups picketed the Chinese consulate in Makati City, as part of a coordinated global day of protest against China’s bullying of its Asian neighbors.

Panganiban Reef is a rich fishing area located within the 200- nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. The reef came under virtually China’s control in 1995. Since April 2012, China has also kept several ships in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal area off Zambales province in western Luzon, following a naval standoff over fishing rights. Recently, Beijing demanded that Manila pull out its military contingent from Ayungin Reef, a call that again deepened tension between the two countries.

Unified coast guard

On Monday, China launched its unified coast guard that integrates the functions of four bodies responsible for surveillance, fisheries administration, law enforcement and border control.

Chinese media earlier reported that Beijing would now use armed Chinese coast guard vessels to monitor and protect its claim over the South China Sea.

China has been claiming the entire West Philippines Sea and other waters and land based on its nine-dash line claim from its historical Chinese map. The Philippines bases its exclusive economic zone on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Deploring what it called China’s excessive claims and aggressive action, the Philippines invited Beijing to prove the validity of its nine-dash-line claim before an arbitral tribunal created under the 1982 UNCLOS, but the latter refused.

The process before the UN arbitral tribunal began recently with the five-man panel of judges drafting its set of rules to govern proceedings, and asking Manila and Beijing to comment by early August.

China refused to participate and insists solely on bilateral negotiations.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/67193/ph-verifying-new-sightings-of-chinese-ships-off-palawan