UNCLOS
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The U.S. and China’s Nine-Dash Line: Ending the Ambiguity
For the first time, the United States government has come out publicly with an explicit statement that the so-called “nine-dash line,” which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan assert delineates their claims in the South China Sea, is contrary to international law. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Danny […]
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An opportunity for diplomatic negotiations thrown away
ASEAN, China, China Fishing Laws, Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, DOC, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSThere are always two sides to the question. This is especially true with the recent Chinese reiteration of rules about fishing in the South China Sea. The rules are not new. It has been there for decades but those who were more interested in escalating conflict between the two countries worked overtime to interpret it […]
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Why China and the Philippines are Battling Over Rocks, Reefs
MANILA—The Philippines cried foul this week when China announced plans to begin regular patrols of the South China Sea, known here as the West Philippines Sea. The two countries have been engaged in a tense dispute over the region since 2012, when Chinese ships took control of Scarborough Shoal, which is just one of the […]
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Asean airs concern on new China sea law
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, ASEAN, Code of Conduct, East China Sea, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSMANILA, Philippines – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has expressed concern over recent developments in the South China Sea, after China imposed a controversial new fisheries law requiring all foreign vessels to obtain approval from Chinese authorities before engaging in fishing or surveying activities. China earlier imposed an Air Defense Identification Zone over […]
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China’s New Fishing Regulations: An Act of State Piracy?
ASEAN, China, China Fishing Laws, Code of Conduct, East China Sea, Fishing Rights, Hainan, South China Sea Dispute, State Piracy, UNCLOSOn November 29, 2013, six days after China’s Ministry of National Defense announced the establishment of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, Hainan province quietly issued new regulations on fishing in the South China Sea. These regulations were announced on December 3 and came into force on January 1, 2014. […]
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UN court ‘will reject China claim in sea row’
A Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official is confident that the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos) will invalidate China’s claim on virtually the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said yesterday a ruling by the tribunal on China’s so-called nine-dash claim is due at the end […]
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Converging Interests: Hanoi and Manila Confront Leviathan
“They were really unprepared for that and were really embarrassed by it,” one of Vietnam’s top experts on Chinese diplomacy told me during my recent visit to Hanoi, referring to the Philippines’ bringing its case against China’s aggressive illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal. This confirmed my assessment […]
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Philippines, Vietnam condemn China’s fishing law
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Vietnam on Friday condemned a new Chinese law that requires foreign fishermen to seek Beijing’s approval to operate in much of the South China Sea, where overlapping territorial claims have escalated tensions. China’s assertiveness in pressing its claims in the waters, which are believed to have significant seabed gas […]
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‘GROSS VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW’ | Manila blasts Beijing on new South China Sea regulations
Brunei, China, China Fishing Laws, Fishing Rights, Hainan, Malaysia, Nine Dash Line, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Taiwan, UNCLOS, VietnamMANILA – The Philippines denounced Friday a new Chinese law that Manila says compels foreign vessels to seek a permit from Chinese regional authorities for activities in large areas of the South China Sea, including portions referred to by Manila as the West Philippine Sea. “We have requested China to immediately clarify the new fisheries […]
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Hainan’s New Fishing Rules: A Preliminary Analysis
Hainan’s provincial government has become an increasingly prominent and active player in the South China Sea disputes. In November 2012, Hainan’s People’s Congress issued new regulations on coastal border security that raised questions about freedom for navigation in the South China Sea (see analysis here and here). In November 2013, the same legislative body issued […]