South China Sea Forum
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ahojunk
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Laos urges bilateral talks on South China Sea rows
May 29, 2016 1:15 am JST
TOKYO -- Echoing China's stance, Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith on Saturday called for South China Sea disputes to be resolved through bilateral talks between the countries concerned.
Thongloun Sisoulith
Thongloun said in an interview with The Nikkei that he will "urge the countries concerned to hold dialogues toward the peaceful settlement" of territorial rows, in an apparent reference to the Philippines and Vietnam.
Thongloun's remarks are significant as Laos holds this year's rotating chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Several ASEAN nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, are locked in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. China's creation of artificial islands for military purposes has drawn particularly strong backlashes from the Philippines and Vietnam.
"As chair of ASEAN, Laos will make efforts to create a favorable environment for positive dialogue among countries concerned," Thongloun said. He also said Laos will urge countries to refrain from any actions that could further raise tensions.
Thongloun, who took office in April, visited Japan to attend the Outreach Meeting of the G-7 Ise-Shima summit, in Mie Prefecture, on Friday.
At the Outreach Meeting, Thongloun and leaders from several other developing countries in Asia and Africa joined their counterparts from major industrialized countries.
The Philippines and Vietnam, which find it difficult to counter China's aggressive maritime advancement into the South China Sea on their own, have asked their fellow ASEAN nations to form a united front on the issue.
The Philippines also has taken the dispute to an arbitration court in the Netherlands. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration expects a ruling soon.
The Philippines is asking other ASEAN nations to issue a joint declaration in response to the ruling, in a show of unity over the issue.
But Thongloun showed a cautious stance about issuing such a document, saying ASEAN nations should make a decision on the matter "carefully while taking into account the situation."
The 10 ASEAN nations are split over whether to issue a joint declaration, with some, including Singapore, being positive about the idea while others, including Cambodia, remain opposed to it.
Cambodia and Laos have close economic relations with China.
Thongloun noted that ASEAN operates by consensus. As things stand now, it is not easy for the ASEAN nations to issue the kind of joint declaration demanded by the Philippines.
Thongloun also disclosed that Laos is now considering joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The trade pact, recently signed but not ratified, is to create a huge economic zone among the U.S., Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries.
He said Laos is "conducting a study with interest" to see what benefits TPP membership would bring to the country.
The TPP's four ASEAN members are: Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand have shown interest in joining the TPP.
Thongloun apparently believes TPP membership would help boost Laotian exports to non-ASEAN countries. But signing on could also adversely impact the Laotian economy.
Laos remains impoverished and heavily dependent on agriculture. As a TPP member, it would be required to take painful steps to significantly open its domestic markets to foreign competition.
The Laotian government will likely take its time in making a decision on the matter.
May 29, 2016 1:15 am JST
TOKYO -- Echoing China's stance, Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith on Saturday called for South China Sea disputes to be resolved through bilateral talks between the countries concerned.
Thongloun Sisoulith
Thongloun said in an interview with The Nikkei that he will "urge the countries concerned to hold dialogues toward the peaceful settlement" of territorial rows, in an apparent reference to the Philippines and Vietnam.
Thongloun's remarks are significant as Laos holds this year's rotating chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Several ASEAN nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, are locked in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. China's creation of artificial islands for military purposes has drawn particularly strong backlashes from the Philippines and Vietnam.
"As chair of ASEAN, Laos will make efforts to create a favorable environment for positive dialogue among countries concerned," Thongloun said. He also said Laos will urge countries to refrain from any actions that could further raise tensions.
Thongloun, who took office in April, visited Japan to attend the Outreach Meeting of the G-7 Ise-Shima summit, in Mie Prefecture, on Friday.
At the Outreach Meeting, Thongloun and leaders from several other developing countries in Asia and Africa joined their counterparts from major industrialized countries.
The Philippines and Vietnam, which find it difficult to counter China's aggressive maritime advancement into the South China Sea on their own, have asked their fellow ASEAN nations to form a united front on the issue.
The Philippines also has taken the dispute to an arbitration court in the Netherlands. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration expects a ruling soon.
The Philippines is asking other ASEAN nations to issue a joint declaration in response to the ruling, in a show of unity over the issue.
But Thongloun showed a cautious stance about issuing such a document, saying ASEAN nations should make a decision on the matter "carefully while taking into account the situation."
The 10 ASEAN nations are split over whether to issue a joint declaration, with some, including Singapore, being positive about the idea while others, including Cambodia, remain opposed to it.
Cambodia and Laos have close economic relations with China.
Thongloun noted that ASEAN operates by consensus. As things stand now, it is not easy for the ASEAN nations to issue the kind of joint declaration demanded by the Philippines.
Thongloun also disclosed that Laos is now considering joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The trade pact, recently signed but not ratified, is to create a huge economic zone among the U.S., Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries.
He said Laos is "conducting a study with interest" to see what benefits TPP membership would bring to the country.
The TPP's four ASEAN members are: Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand have shown interest in joining the TPP.
Thongloun apparently believes TPP membership would help boost Laotian exports to non-ASEAN countries. But signing on could also adversely impact the Laotian economy.
Laos remains impoverished and heavily dependent on agriculture. As a TPP member, it would be required to take painful steps to significantly open its domestic markets to foreign competition.
The Laotian government will likely take its time in making a decision on the matter.
ahojunk
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New Taiwan Leadership Takes Tough Stance On Disputed South China Sea
Ralph Jennings, Contributor
May 31, 2016 @ 01:21 AM
Taiwan under a new political party will extend its Teflon stance on claims to almost the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, despite bigger and more diplomatically connected rivals, and renew calls for joint use of resource-rich waters. That position explained Tuesday by the 11-day-old government of President Tsai Ing-wen will delight a so-far suspicious China but keep Southeast Asian countries on alert.
The government of President Tsai Ing-wen will stick to a 60-year-old claim over the ocean between its southwest coast and Singapore, a foreign ministry official said. Taiwan will also maintain a presence on a major islet under its control and promote maritime resource sharing among claimants, foreign ministry spokesperson Eleanor Wang said Tuesday.
A member of Taiwan’s coast guard speaks as he guides visiting journalists on Taiping island in the Spratlys chain in the South China Sea on March 23, 2016. (SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images)
An extension of the high-visibility maritime claim embraced by outgoing president Ma Ying-jeou means Taiwan will regularly remind the world, particularly aggressive fellow claimants Vietnam and the Philippines, that it owns the ocean. It will also keep functional control of coast guard-fortified Taiping Island, the sea’s largest natural land feature at 1,400 meters long, a nearby sandbar and the Dongsha archipelago closer to Taiwan proper. And Taiwanese officials will keep suggesting peaceful sharing of marine resources such as fisheries, oil and natural gas.
“These are the Republic of China’s historic lands and maritime territories,” Wang told a news briefing, using Taiwan’s legal name. “Under international law, this position is indisputable.”
Taiwan has used “all sorts of means recently” to show other countries its use of the embattled Taiping Island, she added. “In the future the government will go in this direction to promote (Taiping) as a peaceful and ecological islet,” Wang said. “In the future what we want to emphasize is peaceful, cooperative and mutual development. That is, maritime disputes should be set aside and peaceful means should be used to work together on development.”
The ex-president traveled himself to Taiping in January and earlier in his term suggested a peace initiative that involved sharing marine resources. His Nationalist Party developed the historical basis for the full ocean claim when it ruled all of China before a civil war that sent it fleeing to Taiwan in 1940s. Tsai is backed by the Nationalists’ chief rival, the Democratic Progressive Party.
Other claimants worry more about China than Taiwan. Beijing officials have angered them by using landfill to expand other natural islets by a cumulative 3,000 acres, per researcher estimates. It has also authorized oil drilling in contested areas and let fishing boats range as far as waters claimed by Indonesia. The historical basis for its claim to the whole ocean prompted the Philippines to file for U.N. arbitration, and a court is due to rule any time on that case.
Ralph Jennings, Contributor
May 31, 2016 @ 01:21 AM
Taiwan under a new political party will extend its Teflon stance on claims to almost the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, despite bigger and more diplomatically connected rivals, and renew calls for joint use of resource-rich waters. That position explained Tuesday by the 11-day-old government of President Tsai Ing-wen will delight a so-far suspicious China but keep Southeast Asian countries on alert.
The government of President Tsai Ing-wen will stick to a 60-year-old claim over the ocean between its southwest coast and Singapore, a foreign ministry official said. Taiwan will also maintain a presence on a major islet under its control and promote maritime resource sharing among claimants, foreign ministry spokesperson Eleanor Wang said Tuesday.
A member of Taiwan’s coast guard speaks as he guides visiting journalists on Taiping island in the Spratlys chain in the South China Sea on March 23, 2016. (SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images)
An extension of the high-visibility maritime claim embraced by outgoing president Ma Ying-jeou means Taiwan will regularly remind the world, particularly aggressive fellow claimants Vietnam and the Philippines, that it owns the ocean. It will also keep functional control of coast guard-fortified Taiping Island, the sea’s largest natural land feature at 1,400 meters long, a nearby sandbar and the Dongsha archipelago closer to Taiwan proper. And Taiwanese officials will keep suggesting peaceful sharing of marine resources such as fisheries, oil and natural gas.
“These are the Republic of China’s historic lands and maritime territories,” Wang told a news briefing, using Taiwan’s legal name. “Under international law, this position is indisputable.”
Taiwan has used “all sorts of means recently” to show other countries its use of the embattled Taiping Island, she added. “In the future the government will go in this direction to promote (Taiping) as a peaceful and ecological islet,” Wang said. “In the future what we want to emphasize is peaceful, cooperative and mutual development. That is, maritime disputes should be set aside and peaceful means should be used to work together on development.”
The ex-president traveled himself to Taiping in January and earlier in his term suggested a peace initiative that involved sharing marine resources. His Nationalist Party developed the historical basis for the full ocean claim when it ruled all of China before a civil war that sent it fleeing to Taiwan in 1940s. Tsai is backed by the Nationalists’ chief rival, the Democratic Progressive Party.
Other claimants worry more about China than Taiwan. Beijing officials have angered them by using landfill to expand other natural islets by a cumulative 3,000 acres, per researcher estimates. It has also authorized oil drilling in contested areas and let fishing boats range as far as waters claimed by Indonesia. The historical basis for its claim to the whole ocean prompted the Philippines to file for U.N. arbitration, and a court is due to rule any time on that case.
TaiShang
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Japan better needs to explain its crazy EEZ on a piece of submerged rock called Okinotorishima "Island" before lecturing others on how to follow international law.
It is very obvious that it is power that matters, not some words on a piece of paper.
The problem is not that your government had a sense of fairness, but only that it lacked capacity. Do not blame your incapacity on others.
The reality is, your fake islands are comical.
cochine
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Vietnam Arms Embargo to Be Fully Lifted, Obama Says in Hanoi
MAY 23, 2016
HANOI, Vietnam — The United States is rescinding a decades-old ban on sales of lethal military equipment to announced at a news conference in Hanoi on Monday, ending one of the last legal vestiges of the Vietnam War.
The United States has long made lifting the embargo contingent on Vietnam’s improving its human rights record, and recently administration officials had hinted that the ban could be removed partly in response to China’s buildup in the South China Sea.
But Mr. Obama portrayed the decision as part of the long process of normalizing relations between the two countries after the Vietnam War.
“The decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations,” he said, with the Vietnamese president, Tran Dai Quang, standing stiffly by his side. “It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving toward normalization with Vietnam.”
Mr. Obama insisted that the move should not be interpreted as carte blanche for weapons sales to Vietnam and that the United States would review future arms sales to “examine what’s appropriate and what’s not,” as it does with any country.
As for human rights, he said, “this is an area where we still have differences.”
Human rights advocates, who had asked Mr. Obama to hold off on lifting the ban until Vietnam had released some prominent political prisoners and promised to stop the police beatings of protesters, condemned the decision.
“President Obama just gave Vietnam a reward that they don’t deserve,” said John Sifton, the Asia policy director of Human Rights Watch.
Mr. Quang defended his country’s rights record.
“The consistent position and viewpoint of the Vietnamese government is to protect and promote human rights,” he said, adding, “Those achievements have been highly recognized and appreciated by the international community.”
American officials have portrayed lifting the embargo as part of a strategy to help Vietnam defend itself against an increasing threat from China in the South China Sea. Analysts have speculated that in return, Vietnam would grant the United States access to the deepwater port at Cam Ranh Bay.
While there were no statements about such a deal on Monday, Mr. Obama did announce new commercial agreements worth more than $16 billion, including one in which Boeing will sell 100 aircraft and Pratt & Whitney will sell 135 advanced aircraft engines to VietJet Air, a privately owned low-cost airline.
Analysts said, however, that the potential market for new military contracts with Vietnam was likely to be limited in the near term.
Mr. Obama said that improved ties with Vietnam made sense for the United States, since it was a fast-growing country in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world.
He predicted that the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal among 12 nations, including Vietnam, that has very little chance of passing Congress before the November election, would someday become law. All three remaining presidential candidates oppose it.
Mr. Obama’s visit was part of an effort by Vietnam to recalibrate its relationship with China, its giant neighbor in the north. China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner and an ideological ally, but the two countries have sparred over Beijing’s claims to waters off Vietnam’s coast in the South China Sea.
Since 2014, when China placed an oil rig in waters near the Paracel Islands, which Vietnam claims, Hanoi has repeatedly asked Washington for the freedom to buy American lethal weapons. The United States partly relaxed the ban two years ago, allowing the purchase of nonlethal equipment for maritime defense.
China’s reaction to the decision on Monday was subdued.
“The arms embargo is a product of the Cold War and should never have existed,” Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said during a news briefing in Beijing. “We welcome normal relations between Vietnam and the United States.”
But beneath the polite response are deep concerns in Beijing about the intentions of Vietnam. And Vietnam, while seeking to defend itself from China, is unlikely to completely sever itself from China’s orbit.
In a sign of the complexities of the relationship, the Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, Hong Xiaoyong, met last Thursday with Vietnam’s defense minister, Ngo Xuan Lich, in Hanoi. Both sides pledged to strengthen military ties, said Xinhua, the Chinese news agency.
The lifting of the arms embargo comes at a particularly sensitive time for China. The government is running a high-pitched diplomatic campaign criticizing a pending arbitration ruling on the South China Sea. China argues that a United Nations tribunal has no right to make a ruling in the case, which the Philippines brought against China.
Vietnam has loudly backed the right of the Philippines to take its case to the tribunal.
Mr. Obama also announced on Monday that the two sides had formalized an agreement to allow the opening of Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, the first independent university in Vietnam in which the government would have no formal role.
The university’s chairman, Bob Kerrey, a former Nebraska senator and a Vietnam veteran who lost part of a leg in combat, said the university could start teaching undergraduates in the autumn of 2017.
Mr. Obama also said that Peace Corps volunteers would be posted to Vietnam for the first time.
Earlier in the morning, Mr. Obama was whisked through Hanoi’s streets for a highly choreographed arrival ceremony at the Presidential Palace. His route was lined with children waving small American and Vietnamese flags.
The president later had dinner with Anthony Bourdain, the host of a CNN program.
Vietnam Arms Embargo to Be Fully Lifted, Obama Says in Hanoi
MAY 23, 2016
HANOI, Vietnam — The United States is rescinding a decades-old ban on sales of lethal military equipment to announced at a news conference in Hanoi on Monday, ending one of the last legal vestiges of the Vietnam War.
The United States has long made lifting the embargo contingent on Vietnam’s improving its human rights record, and recently administration officials had hinted that the ban could be removed partly in response to China’s buildup in the South China Sea.
But Mr. Obama portrayed the decision as part of the long process of normalizing relations between the two countries after the Vietnam War.
“The decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations,” he said, with the Vietnamese president, Tran Dai Quang, standing stiffly by his side. “It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving toward normalization with Vietnam.”
Mr. Obama insisted that the move should not be interpreted as carte blanche for weapons sales to Vietnam and that the United States would review future arms sales to “examine what’s appropriate and what’s not,” as it does with any country.
As for human rights, he said, “this is an area where we still have differences.”
Human rights advocates, who had asked Mr. Obama to hold off on lifting the ban until Vietnam had released some prominent political prisoners and promised to stop the police beatings of protesters, condemned the decision.
“President Obama just gave Vietnam a reward that they don’t deserve,” said John Sifton, the Asia policy director of Human Rights Watch.
Mr. Quang defended his country’s rights record.
“The consistent position and viewpoint of the Vietnamese government is to protect and promote human rights,” he said, adding, “Those achievements have been highly recognized and appreciated by the international community.”
American officials have portrayed lifting the embargo as part of a strategy to help Vietnam defend itself against an increasing threat from China in the South China Sea. Analysts have speculated that in return, Vietnam would grant the United States access to the deepwater port at Cam Ranh Bay.
While there were no statements about such a deal on Monday, Mr. Obama did announce new commercial agreements worth more than $16 billion, including one in which Boeing will sell 100 aircraft and Pratt & Whitney will sell 135 advanced aircraft engines to VietJet Air, a privately owned low-cost airline.
Analysts said, however, that the potential market for new military contracts with Vietnam was likely to be limited in the near term.
Mr. Obama said that improved ties with Vietnam made sense for the United States, since it was a fast-growing country in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world.
He predicted that the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal among 12 nations, including Vietnam, that has very little chance of passing Congress before the November election, would someday become law. All three remaining presidential candidates oppose it.
Mr. Obama’s visit was part of an effort by Vietnam to recalibrate its relationship with China, its giant neighbor in the north. China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner and an ideological ally, but the two countries have sparred over Beijing’s claims to waters off Vietnam’s coast in the South China Sea.
Since 2014, when China placed an oil rig in waters near the Paracel Islands, which Vietnam claims, Hanoi has repeatedly asked Washington for the freedom to buy American lethal weapons. The United States partly relaxed the ban two years ago, allowing the purchase of nonlethal equipment for maritime defense.
China’s reaction to the decision on Monday was subdued.
“The arms embargo is a product of the Cold War and should never have existed,” Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said during a news briefing in Beijing. “We welcome normal relations between Vietnam and the United States.”
But beneath the polite response are deep concerns in Beijing about the intentions of Vietnam. And Vietnam, while seeking to defend itself from China, is unlikely to completely sever itself from China’s orbit.
In a sign of the complexities of the relationship, the Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, Hong Xiaoyong, met last Thursday with Vietnam’s defense minister, Ngo Xuan Lich, in Hanoi. Both sides pledged to strengthen military ties, said Xinhua, the Chinese news agency.
The lifting of the arms embargo comes at a particularly sensitive time for China. The government is running a high-pitched diplomatic campaign criticizing a pending arbitration ruling on the South China Sea. China argues that a United Nations tribunal has no right to make a ruling in the case, which the Philippines brought against China.
Vietnam has loudly backed the right of the Philippines to take its case to the tribunal.
Mr. Obama also announced on Monday that the two sides had formalized an agreement to allow the opening of Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, the first independent university in Vietnam in which the government would have no formal role.
The university’s chairman, Bob Kerrey, a former Nebraska senator and a Vietnam veteran who lost part of a leg in combat, said the university could start teaching undergraduates in the autumn of 2017.
Mr. Obama also said that Peace Corps volunteers would be posted to Vietnam for the first time.
Earlier in the morning, Mr. Obama was whisked through Hanoi’s streets for a highly choreographed arrival ceremony at the Presidential Palace. His route was lined with children waving small American and Vietnamese flags.
The president later had dinner with Anthony Bourdain, the host of a CNN program.
US taking advantage of South China Sea dispute: Analyst
The United States and its allies are exploiting the South China Sea dispute to increase their military presence and fuel unrest in the Asia Pacific region, a former American intelligence linguist says.
“There has been many disputes in the area and certainly foreign nations have taken advantage of the resources in the region when it comes to fishing, oil and gas exploration,” Scott Rickard told Press TV on Tuesday.
“China is not violating any international law and is absolutely setting up a deterrent, a forward [operating] base, in defense of their country because of the aggressive nature of not only the United States but other NATO allies that have controlled the international waters for over 500 years,” Rickard said.
The United States has dramatically increased its military maneuvers across the South China Sea over the past months, prompting angry protests from China and Russia who accuse Washington of fueling unrest in the Asia Pacific region.
Military activity has become the “new normal” in US-Pacific relations and is meant to counter efforts by Beijing and Moscow and show “military superiority” in the increasingly crowded and competitive region, ABC News said in a report on Tuesday.
“We're for freedom of navigation and following the rules, and to an extent we are pushing back against changing the rules,” said Derek Chollet, a former assistant defense secretary for international affairs.
The United States is concerned that China is extending its military reach in the South China Sea by developing man-made islands to accommodate military airfields and weapons systems.
American warships have deliberately sailed close to one of the land formations three times in the past seven months to test China’s territorial claims.
“The US is trying to claim that it is keeping the maritime waters free for transport and navigation. Needless to say that the small islands that the Chinese have built… are not interrupting any navigation whatsoever,” Rickard said.
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter plans to visit the region next week for an annual Asian national security conference.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counterclaims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. China is also locked in disputes with Japan and South Korea over the East China Sea.
Across Southeast Asia, concerns about China and its growing military have created an opportunity for the US to improve relationships.
China has repeatedly criticized US military presence in the region and suspects the military drills are part of efforts to contain Beijing.
http://irandaily.ion.ir/News/152440.html
The United States and its allies are exploiting the South China Sea dispute to increase their military presence and fuel unrest in the Asia Pacific region, a former American intelligence linguist says.
“There has been many disputes in the area and certainly foreign nations have taken advantage of the resources in the region when it comes to fishing, oil and gas exploration,” Scott Rickard told Press TV on Tuesday.
“China is not violating any international law and is absolutely setting up a deterrent, a forward [operating] base, in defense of their country because of the aggressive nature of not only the United States but other NATO allies that have controlled the international waters for over 500 years,” Rickard said.
The United States has dramatically increased its military maneuvers across the South China Sea over the past months, prompting angry protests from China and Russia who accuse Washington of fueling unrest in the Asia Pacific region.
Military activity has become the “new normal” in US-Pacific relations and is meant to counter efforts by Beijing and Moscow and show “military superiority” in the increasingly crowded and competitive region, ABC News said in a report on Tuesday.
“We're for freedom of navigation and following the rules, and to an extent we are pushing back against changing the rules,” said Derek Chollet, a former assistant defense secretary for international affairs.
The United States is concerned that China is extending its military reach in the South China Sea by developing man-made islands to accommodate military airfields and weapons systems.
American warships have deliberately sailed close to one of the land formations three times in the past seven months to test China’s territorial claims.
“The US is trying to claim that it is keeping the maritime waters free for transport and navigation. Needless to say that the small islands that the Chinese have built… are not interrupting any navigation whatsoever,” Rickard said.
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter plans to visit the region next week for an annual Asian national security conference.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counterclaims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. China is also locked in disputes with Japan and South Korea over the East China Sea.
Across Southeast Asia, concerns about China and its growing military have created an opportunity for the US to improve relationships.
China has repeatedly criticized US military presence in the region and suspects the military drills are part of efforts to contain Beijing.
http://irandaily.ion.ir/News/152440.html
ahojunk
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China simulates 'natural process' of South China Sea corals
2016-06-02 08:27 | Global Times | Editor: Li Yan
China is simulating the natural process of coral reefs in the country's activities in the South China Sea, denying recent accusations of large-scale destruction of coral reefs.
China has applied for over 60 national patents in construction activities in the South China Sea, and construction work on the Nansha Islands has protected the biological system, afforested the land and improved the ecology, a Xinhua News Agency report said on Tuesday.
After two years of construction, the area has become a flora and fauna paradise. Over 300,000 tropical plants from twenty species are located there with a germination rate above 86.5 percent, and the salinity of coral sand has decreased to a safe planting level,according to the report.
However, some U.S. experts told a recent forum at the East-West Center in Hawaii that coral reefs in the South China Sea are being destroyed on a large scale, which was mainly caused by China's massive land reclamation activities.
Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that the U.S. tried to use the environmental problem as an excuse to suppress China and hype the South China Sea issue.
We have taken everything into consideration and prepared contingency plans, said Chen, adding that he hopes China and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) could cooperate protect and develop the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei also said that China's activities on the Nansha Islands strictly follow the principle of conducting a green project and building ecologically-friendly islands and reefs.
Based on thorough studies, China adopts dynamic protection measures along the whole process so as to combine construction with ecological protection and the sustainable development of islands and reefs, said Hong.
"China takes the approach of 'natural simulation'. The impact on the ecological system of coral reefs is limited. Once China's construction activities are completed, ecological protection on relevant islands and reefs will be notably enhanced and such action would stand the test of time," said Hong,
Hong added that the Nansha Islands are China's territory. China cares about protecting the ecology of relevant islands, reefs and waters more than any other country, organization or people in the world.
The South China Sea has different kinds of ecosystems including coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed beds. There are over 200 kinds of biological resources in the Nansha Islands, said Wang Xiaoqiang, a deputy director at the State Oceanic Administration.
2016-06-02 08:27 | Global Times | Editor: Li Yan
China is simulating the natural process of coral reefs in the country's activities in the South China Sea, denying recent accusations of large-scale destruction of coral reefs.
China has applied for over 60 national patents in construction activities in the South China Sea, and construction work on the Nansha Islands has protected the biological system, afforested the land and improved the ecology, a Xinhua News Agency report said on Tuesday.
After two years of construction, the area has become a flora and fauna paradise. Over 300,000 tropical plants from twenty species are located there with a germination rate above 86.5 percent, and the salinity of coral sand has decreased to a safe planting level,according to the report.
However, some U.S. experts told a recent forum at the East-West Center in Hawaii that coral reefs in the South China Sea are being destroyed on a large scale, which was mainly caused by China's massive land reclamation activities.
Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that the U.S. tried to use the environmental problem as an excuse to suppress China and hype the South China Sea issue.
We have taken everything into consideration and prepared contingency plans, said Chen, adding that he hopes China and the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) could cooperate protect and develop the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei also said that China's activities on the Nansha Islands strictly follow the principle of conducting a green project and building ecologically-friendly islands and reefs.
Based on thorough studies, China adopts dynamic protection measures along the whole process so as to combine construction with ecological protection and the sustainable development of islands and reefs, said Hong.
"China takes the approach of 'natural simulation'. The impact on the ecological system of coral reefs is limited. Once China's construction activities are completed, ecological protection on relevant islands and reefs will be notably enhanced and such action would stand the test of time," said Hong,
Hong added that the Nansha Islands are China's territory. China cares about protecting the ecology of relevant islands, reefs and waters more than any other country, organization or people in the world.
The South China Sea has different kinds of ecosystems including coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed beds. There are over 200 kinds of biological resources in the Nansha Islands, said Wang Xiaoqiang, a deputy director at the State Oceanic Administration.
cochine
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Indonesia tổ charge Chinese fishing crew with poaching
A Chinese coast guard vessel intervened and prevented the Indonesian maritime authorities from seizing a Chinese fishing boat that Jakarta said was poaching in the country's waters.PHOTO: REUTERS
Indonesia will prosecute the crew of eight from a China-flagged fishing boat who were arrested last Saturday for poaching near the Natunas, according to its laws, said the country's chief security minister.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, however, said Jakarta will continue to engage Beijing in dialogue to resolve their latest dispute arising from the intervention by a Chinese coast guard vessel in the failed seizure of the fishing boat by the Indonesian authorities.
"Indonesia and China are good friends, but our territorial integrity must be upheld," he told The Straits Times yesterday.
"That is why our Foreign Minister is intensively communicating with her Chinese counterpart."
Tensions flared between Indonesia and China on Monday after the South-east Asian giant protested against the actions of a vessel from China's coast guard.
Indonesia had accused it of breaching its sovereign rights when the Chinese patrol boat forcibly prevented the local maritime authorities from detaining a fishing boat in its territorial waters.
Officers from the Hiu 4 had spotted the Sheng Te Tsai and Lien I Hsing vessels poaching in Indonesian waters at about 3am, with the crew on board allegedly preparing a "long-line fishing net" .
The Hiu 4 fired warnings shots over the bows of the two vessels after they ignored its order to halt.
Taiwan's Central News Agency reported yesterday that the fishing vessels evaded capture and later lodged a complaint against the Indonesians, accusing the patrol boat of firing 10 shots at them.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday demanded that Indonesia provide evidence to support its claims that two fishing boats were poaching in its territorial waters and had attempted to ram the Indonesian patrol boat.
The ministry also said in a statement that if the Indonesian authorities are unable to provide any further explanation over the shooting, Taipei "will not rule out the possibility of lodging a formal protest".
The Central News Agency report said Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti showed the agency video footage of the pursuit. Ms Susi said a rope can be seen in the video hanging from the right side of the Sheng Te Tsai, which indicated that it was in the middle of a fishing operation.
The incident involving China's fishing vessel was not the only altercation in recent weeks. China last Wednesday expressed its "serious concerns" after claiming that Argentina sank a Chinese trawler for alleged illegal fishing off the Argentine coast.
Indonesia tổ charge Chinese fishing crew with poaching
A Chinese coast guard vessel intervened and prevented the Indonesian maritime authorities from seizing a Chinese fishing boat that Jakarta said was poaching in the country's waters.PHOTO: REUTERS
Indonesia will prosecute the crew of eight from a China-flagged fishing boat who were arrested last Saturday for poaching near the Natunas, according to its laws, said the country's chief security minister.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, however, said Jakarta will continue to engage Beijing in dialogue to resolve their latest dispute arising from the intervention by a Chinese coast guard vessel in the failed seizure of the fishing boat by the Indonesian authorities.
"Indonesia and China are good friends, but our territorial integrity must be upheld," he told The Straits Times yesterday.
"That is why our Foreign Minister is intensively communicating with her Chinese counterpart."
Tensions flared between Indonesia and China on Monday after the South-east Asian giant protested against the actions of a vessel from China's coast guard.
Indonesia had accused it of breaching its sovereign rights when the Chinese patrol boat forcibly prevented the local maritime authorities from detaining a fishing boat in its territorial waters.
Officers from the Hiu 4 had spotted the Sheng Te Tsai and Lien I Hsing vessels poaching in Indonesian waters at about 3am, with the crew on board allegedly preparing a "long-line fishing net" .
The Hiu 4 fired warnings shots over the bows of the two vessels after they ignored its order to halt.
Taiwan's Central News Agency reported yesterday that the fishing vessels evaded capture and later lodged a complaint against the Indonesians, accusing the patrol boat of firing 10 shots at them.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday demanded that Indonesia provide evidence to support its claims that two fishing boats were poaching in its territorial waters and had attempted to ram the Indonesian patrol boat.
The ministry also said in a statement that if the Indonesian authorities are unable to provide any further explanation over the shooting, Taipei "will not rule out the possibility of lodging a formal protest".
The Central News Agency report said Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti showed the agency video footage of the pursuit. Ms Susi said a rope can be seen in the video hanging from the right side of the Sheng Te Tsai, which indicated that it was in the middle of a fishing operation.
The incident involving China's fishing vessel was not the only altercation in recent weeks. China last Wednesday expressed its "serious concerns" after claiming that Argentina sank a Chinese trawler for alleged illegal fishing off the Argentine coast.
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China Urges U.S., Japan to Stop Pointing Fingers on S. China Sea
2016-06-05 09:35:00 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Fei Fei
The Chinese foreign ministry is demanding the United States and Japan stop pointing fingers at China on the South China Sea.
It's a response to remarks made by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani at the Shangri-La security summit in Singapore.
Cater has suggested China's military activities in the South China Sea are isolating itself.
In countering the suggestion, the Chinese Foreign Ministry says China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, saying any construction activities on islands and reefs in the area are legitimate.
Chinese Admiral Sun Jianguo, head of Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue, has also called on Japan to respect China's interests and concerns, and not to intervene in or hype up the South China Sea.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has issued a statement at the talks in Singapore, saying maritime issue should not become a zero-sum game for the region.
Indonesia's Defense Minister says the UN Charter and other documents need to be given full consideration, saying disputes in the South China Sea need to be resolved step by step.
2016-06-05 09:35:00 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Fei Fei
The Chinese foreign ministry is demanding the United States and Japan stop pointing fingers at China on the South China Sea.
It's a response to remarks made by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani at the Shangri-La security summit in Singapore.
Cater has suggested China's military activities in the South China Sea are isolating itself.
In countering the suggestion, the Chinese Foreign Ministry says China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, saying any construction activities on islands and reefs in the area are legitimate.
Chinese Admiral Sun Jianguo, head of Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue, has also called on Japan to respect China's interests and concerns, and not to intervene in or hype up the South China Sea.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has issued a statement at the talks in Singapore, saying maritime issue should not become a zero-sum game for the region.
Indonesia's Defense Minister says the UN Charter and other documents need to be given full consideration, saying disputes in the South China Sea need to be resolved step by step.
