<
https://theconversation.com/drawing-lines-in-the-south-china-sea-what-beijings-new-claims-over-a-disputed-coral-reef-mean-244197>
"Earlier this month, China declared new “baselines” around Scarborough Reef, a
large coral atoll topped by a handful of rocks barely above sea level in the
South China Sea.
By doing so, China reaffirmed its sovereignty claim over what has become a
global flashpoint in the disputed waters.
This was a pre-calculated response to the Philippines’ enactment of new
maritime laws two days earlier that aimed to safeguard its own claims over the
reef and other contested parts of the sea.
This legal tit-for-tat is a continuation of the ongoing sovereignty and
maritime dispute between China and the Philippines (and others) in a vital
ocean area through which one-third of global trade travels.
The Philippines rejected China’s declaration as a violation of its
“long-established sovereignty over the shoal”. Defence Secretary Gilberto
Teodoro said:
What we see is an increasing demand by Beijing for us to concede our
sovereign rights in the area.
As the tensions continue to worsen over these claims, there is an
ever-increasing risk of an at-sea conflict between the two countries."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
