PH reminds China of pending protest vs Sansha City amid issue on fisheries law

From InterAksyon (Jan 14): PH reminds China of pending protest vs Sansha City amid issue on fisheries law

As China's new law requiring foreigners to seek permission to fish in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) takes effect this month, the Philippines has reminded China that it still protesting the establishment of a Chinese prefecture that encompasses areas in the disputed territories.

Earlier, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) asked China to clarify the new fisheries law passed by the Hainan Provincial People's Congress in November 2013 and became effective in January 2014.

In a  statement released on Tuesday, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said China had already responded to the Philippine's request.

In its clarification, China maintained that the new fishing regulation in the disputed territories is an implementation of China's law and covers the jurisdiction of Hainan province.

The DFA strongly reminded the Chinese government that the establishment of Hainan province and its prefecture, Sansha City, are still being protested by the Philippines. On June 28, 2012, the DFA sent a note verbale to then Chinese ambassador Ma Keqing to protest the establishment of Sansha.

Sansha is tasked to administer the disputed territories in the South China Sea including Nansha (Spratlys or the Kalayaan Group of Islands), Xisha (Paracels), and Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank) islands and their surrounding waters.

"The Philippines calls on China to conform to international law particularly UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]," Hernandez said.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs reiterates its strong protest, which we have made on June 28, 2012 since the jurisdiction of Hainan province included the Philippine exclusive economic zone," he added.

On Monday, January 13, Hernandez told reporters that it would be "business as usual" in the West Philippine Sea despite China's new fisheries law.

“We are not preventing them [Filipino fishermen],” Hernandez said. “We have BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) all over the place and fishing rules and activities are being monitored.”
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/78684/ph-reminds-china-of-pending-protest-vs-sansha-city-amid-issue-on-fisheries-law