采用防油渍防指纹涂层:Singapore: Beijing Should Spell Out China Sea...

来源：百度文库编辑：九乡新闻网时间：2024/04/29 12:13:07

Singapore: Beijing Should Spell Out China Sea Claims

South-China-Seas-Rev03.jpg (83.12 KB)
2011-6-21 10:12

Singapore is urging China to spell out its territorial claims in the South China Sea with more precision.

In a formal statement Monday, Singapore's foreign ministry said it is in China's own interest to clarify the extent of its claims, saying the current ambiguity is causing concern among other maritime nations.

The statement comes as Singapore plays host to a port visit by the Haixun 31, one of China's largest naval patrol ships. It is the first time a major Chinese navy vessel has visited another country.

Singapore stressed that is has no claims of its own in the South China Sea and that it takes no position on the conflicting claims of China and five other governments. But it said that as a major trading nation, it has a critical interest in maintaining free navigation through the area.

China is engaged in diplomatic squabbles over recent incidents in waters claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines as part of their exclusive economic zones. China in each case claimed the incidents occurred in areas under Chinese administration, without saying specifically how far those areas extended.

China's claims are based in part on a centuries-old map which shows a broken line encircling most of the South China Sea. Vital shipping lanes run through the sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

Singapore said Monday the tensions could be eased by the conclusion of guidelines for implementing a code of conduct on South China Sea disputes. Agreement on the guidelines has been held up since the code was negotiated in 2002.

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1988, March - Ship collision near the Nansha (Spratly) Islands, killing more than 70 Vietnamese.

1991 - China passes the Law on Territorial Waters and Their Contiguous Areas, laying out its claim to territorial sovereignty over the disputed Islands.

1995, 1999 - The Philippines said that they "discovers Chinese constructions on Mischief Reef, an island located in the Nansha Island chain. Despite efforts to resolve the dispute, more structures are found on the reef in 1999". Manila says the structures are a military installation while Beijing says they are for fishermen.

2002 - China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations sign a non-binding Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

2009, March – Pentagon baselessly said that U.S. naval vessel in the South China Sea harrased by China.

2011, May – exploration cable on a Vietnamese oil survey ship in waters cut down, within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone.

2011, June - The Philippines complains that "Chinese ships offloaded building materials and erected marker posts on reefs to the west of its island of Palawan, within Manila's exclusive economic zone".

AFP/VOA

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2^# > A < Posted 2011-6-21 12:35 Only show this user's posts Quote from the article:
In a formal statement Monday, Singapore's foreign ministry said it is in China's own interest to clarify the extent of its claims, saying the current ambiguity is causing concern among other maritime nations.
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Of course China must make it very clear that S. China Sea is the sole sovereign territories of China and all other nations must get out of it.  It is nonsense to say that since these islands are within 200 nautical miles of their countries, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei can claim them as their own.  The sovereignty of an island is not based on proximity to a country but based on the historical documents that proves what country actually owns it.

For example, Cayman Island is within 200 nautical miles of Cuba.  But Cayman Island belongs to UK and not to Cuba.  This proves that even though Cayman Island is within 200 nautical miles of Cuba yet Cuba cannot claim that Cayman Island is within its EEZ and therefore belongs to it.  In fact, the EEZ of Cuba is only up to the midpoint between the coasts of Cuba and Cayman.  Therefore, Cayman is actually not within the EEZ of Cuba at all.  In other words, a country must first prove its sovereignty over an island and then establish its EEZ with respect to it.

Another example is Singapore.  Singapore is separated from Malaysia by only one or two miles.  Yet Malaysia cannot say that since Singapore is within 200 nautical miles of its southern shore it must be within its EEZ and therefore belongs to it.  Singapore is a sovereign nation recognized by the UN.  Therefore, the fact that it is within 200 nautical miles of Malaysia does not mean it belongs to it.  Furthermore, Malaysia's EEZ cannot extend more than half the distance between itself and Singapore.  Which means Malaysia's EEZ only extends for 0.5 to 1.0 miles from its southern shore.  This means Singapore is not even in Malaysia's EEZ to begin with.  This is why it is necessary to establish the sovereignty first and then calculate the extent of the EEZ.

Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei use the argument that since Nansha Islands are within 200 nautical miles of their coasts they belong to them respectively because they are within their EEZ.  From the explanation given above, this line of argument is invalid.  China has established its sovereignty over Nansha Islands from historical documents.  Once China has established its sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, the respective EEZ of Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei extends only to the midpoint of the distance between their coasts and the nearest islands of the Nansha Archipelago.  Therefore, none of the Nansha Archipelago islands is within the EEZ of these neighboring nations.  And these neighboring nations cannot use EEZ as an argument to claim Chinese sovereign territories in the S. China Sea.

I have called for the Chinese government to make a firm and assertive declaration of its sovereignty over the S. China Sea.  Its continued weak and befuddled attitude will only encourage the neighboring countries to make louder claims that will inevitably lead to bloody conflicts.  If the Chinese government makes an asserive and no nonsese warning to these nations then they will quickly back off and peace can be restored quickly.  Don't think that by waiting and watching the situation will improve by itself.  It will not.  It will only get more dangerous until either China must go to war or it must back down and give up its sovereign territories.  Either way it will be a terrible disaster for China.

Just because some disguised enemies of China are praising the Chinese government for doing nothing it does not mean this is the correct policy.  They just want China to get into serious trouble one way or another.  I hope the Chinese government can quickly realize the danger and move quickly to correct it.

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