US backs PH bid for arbitration on West Philippine Sea row

 News
Apr 022013
 
US backs PH bid for arbitration on West Philippine Sea row

By Tarra QuismundoINQUIRER.net 10:03 am | Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 Secretary of State John Kerry. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — The United States has thrown its full support behind the Philippines’ bid to settle disputes with China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) through arbitration as the country’s long-time defense ally underscored its importance as a partner in the Asia-Pacific. In remarks before talks with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in Washington D.C. Tuesday morning (US time), Secretary of State John Kerry also reiterated his government’s support for a code of conduct in the disputed waters, a critical international sea lane. “The Philippines is one of our five Asia-Pacific allies and a very, very important relationship at this point in time when there are tensions over the South China Sea, where we support a code of conduct, and we are deeply concerned [about] some of those tensions and would like to see it worked out through a process of arbitration,” said Kerry in remarks before media at the US State Department. Del Rosario said Kerry expounded on this during their meeting and “emphasized the importance the United States gives to maintaining peace and stability in the area.” “More importantly, Secretary Kerry assured me that the US is committed to supporting the efforts of the Philippines to settle the disputes peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” said Manila’s top diplomat. Del Rosario’s meeting with Kerry in Washington is the first for the two officials since Read More …

Philippines slams patrols for Chinese fishers

 News
Feb 262013
 

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:52 am | Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Tuesday denounced China’s announced fishery patrols in the Spratly group of islands, as it asserted its sovereignty over its established maritime boundaries in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also called on China to “act responsibly” amid simmering tensions in the region over the contested waters, the subject of a Philippine arbitration bid in the United Nations. “We again call on China to respect our territorial sovereignty and exclusive economic zone. The Philippines strongly objects to the Chinese patrols in the Philippines’ maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea,” said DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez. Chinese state media reported over the weekend that the South China Sea Fishery Bureau of China’s Ministry of Agriculture was set to undertake “routine fishery administrative patrols” in the South China Sea this year. The patrols “will be carried out to better safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese fishermen,” Chinese media said, quoting Wu Zhuang of the fisheries bureau. Wu said that China would “speed up the routine patrols” with the growing capacity of Chinese law enforcement authorities. Hernandez said the move violated China’s international commitments, including its accession to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). The Philippines invoked the Unclos in taking its dispute with China to the UN arbitral tribunal in hopes of stopping Chinese incursions into its  waters and invalidating the Chinese Read More …

Chinese warships enter West Philippine Sea

 News
Feb 042013
 
Chinese warships enter West Philippine Sea

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:12 am | Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Chinese naval vessels entered Philippine waters on Feb. 1 amid efforts by the Philippines to peacefully resolve its territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea through arbitration in the United Nations. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday that a naval fleet of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entered the West Philippine Sea “for patrol and training missions” this week. Xinhua said the three ships from the PLA Navy’s North China Sea fleet—the missile destroyer Qingdao and missile frigates Yantai and Yancheng—traveled through the Bashi Channel, an international sea route between Luzon and Taiwan, before entering the West Philippine Sea at 11:40 a.m. on Friday. The report said the training exercises would be held within Chinese “territorial waters.” China claims almost all of the West Philippine Sea, including parts close to the shores of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. UN arbitration The Philippines has protested Chinese incursions into waters within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but China insists those waters are part of its territory. Last month, the Philippines took its dispute with China to the United Nations for arbitration. The Philippines asked the United Nations to declare invalid China’s claim to parts of the sea that are within the Philippine EEZ. Manila also asked the United Nations to stop Beijing’s incursions into Philippine territory in the sea. It is not clear whether the Philippine action can proceed without China’s participation Read More …

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