MANILA -- China’s growing economic and political clout should be a
matter of concern since its huge territorial claims have already covered
areas belonging to other nations such as the Philippines, an
administration ally said.
President Benigno Aquino III noted on Monday China’s persistent claim
to islands in the West Philippine Sea and recently the Scarborough
Shoal, which is within the country’s internationally recognized
exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“They claim this entire body of water practically. Look at what is
excluded and what they are claiming. So how can the others not be
fearful of what is transpiring?” the President said.
Reacting to this statement, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said it
is good that the President showed the world that the country will not be
cowed by the perceived bullying of China, Asia’s most powerful nation.
“The President will not just sit idly on this. I think it was just
right for him to defend our independence and integrity over the shoal,”
he told reporters.
The three-week-old standoff at the resource-rich area stemmed after
the Philippine Navy apprehended suspected Chinese poachers, who were
later rescued by responding Chinese military vessels.
China, which calls the shoal as Huangyan Island, used historical data
to back up its claim but maps dating back to the 18th century would
show that the shoal was referred to by American and British explorers as
part of the Philippine archipelago.
Scarborough is also 124 nautical miles away from the Philippines’
main island of Luzon, which is part of the 200-nautical mile EEZ as
guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(Unclos).
China has since slammed the Philippines for asking members of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to take a common stand on
the issue as it snubbed Manila’s invitation to resolve the dispute
before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos).
The issue is expected to be raised by Foreign Affairs Secretary
Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in a bilateral
meeting next week with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta in Washington.
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Virgil Lopez | SunStar.Com.Ph | April 26, 2012 | Article Link
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