BEIJING. China has officially published baselines for Scarborough Shoal, a disputed territory in the South China Sea, which it seized from the Philippines in 2012. The move, announced by China’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday, could further inflame tensions between the two nations over overlapping territorial claims.
The Foreign Ministry posted online the geographic coordinates marking China’s claimed baselines around Scarborough Shoal. These baselines are used to define a nation’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, by international maritime conventions. Both China and the Philippines claim Scarborough Shoal, which is located west of the Philippines’ main island, Luzon. However, since its takeover, China has limited access to the shoal for Filipino fishermen.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal ruled that China’s extensive claims over the South China Sea were largely invalid. Despite this, China has dismissed the ruling and continued to assert its dominance in the region. Encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels have since increased, leading to several collisions and incidents where Chinese coast guards have used water cannons against Philippine vessels.
China’s latest move came just days after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two laws that define the country’s maritime claims in the disputed waters. The Philippine Maritime Zones Act, one of the new laws, appears to have been a trigger for Beijing’s response.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, the delimiting of baselines around Scarborough Shoal “is a natural step by the Chinese government to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices.” The Ministry further stated that the Philippine law “violates China’s sovereignty in the South China Sea,” and emphasized that “China firmly opposes it and will continue to do everything necessary by the law to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, asserting its dominance over key shipping routes and challenging the territorial waters of several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam. The situation remains a critical issue, with regional and global repercussions, as both countries assert their respective claims amidst ongoing diplomatic and physical confrontations.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
