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Activities of the Claimants

China

Beijing to include disputed islands in new land registration scheme

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China's new real estate registration system will cover disputed waters and islands in the South China Sea, according to an exclusive report from the Beijing-based Economic Observer. Citing sources from the newly established Real Estate Registration Office of China's Ministry of Land and Resources, the report said all territory regarded as part of China will be subjected to the new land rights system, with real estate owned by enterprises and residents living on seas and islands within Chinese territory afforded legal protection. Specifically, the new land registration regulations stipulate that "real estate" refers to "land, sea and subsidiaries houses and other buildings, structures and forests, trees and other fixed objects." The rules also provide that anyone seeking to register real estate rights in the sea for the first time will need to submit a sea boundary map and project approvals, as well as relevant contracts, grants and certificates. 

China rejects Philippines' call for construction freeze

China rejected the Philippines' call for a halt to construction projects in disputed areas of the South China Sea, saying it has the right to build on what it regards as Chinese territory. China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, on June 16th accused Manila of hypocrisy in its criticism of Beijing's activities, saying that the Philippines has itself engaged in construction work in the disputed Spratly Islands. "On the one hand, the Philippines side is busy putting up installations on China's Nansha [Spratly] islands that they have illegally occupied," said Ms. Hua, referring to Thi Tu Island (internationally known as Thitu Island, the Philippines calls it Pag-asa Island. "On the other hand, they make irresponsible remarks about China's legitimate construction work." On the 11th joint working group meeting between China and ASEAN on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct (DoC) of Parties in the South China Sea to be held in Bali, Indonesia, Hua said China is willing to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to promote a code of conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea, "China is ready to work with the ASEAN for comprehensive and effective implementation of the declaration and steadily push forward consultations on a CoC," Hua said. Maritime cooperation on navigation security and joint search and rescue will be discussed during the meeting, Hua said. She called for favorable conditions for the implementation of the DoC and formulation of a CoC to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

China sends four oil rigs to South China Sea

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China has sent four oil rigs into the South China Sea in a sign that Beijing is stepping up its exploration for oil and gas in the tense region, less than two months after it positioned a giant drilling platform in waters claimed by Vietnam. Coordinates posted on the website of China's Maritime Safety Administration showed the Nanhai number 2 and 5 rigs had been deployed roughly between southern China and the Pratas islands, which are occupied by Taiwan. The Nanhai 4 rig was towed close to the Chinese coast. The agency did not say who owns the rigs. Earlier, it gave coordinates for a fourth rig, the Nanhai 9, which it said would be positioned just outside Vietnam's exclusive economic zone by June 20th.

'Expansion not in Chinese DNA'

Premier Li Keqiang sought to allay mounting fears over China's growing regional strength on Wednesday by highlighting the nation's long-held resistance to expansion and hegemony. "Expansion is not in the Chinese DNA, nor can we accept the logic that a strong country is bound to become hegemonic," he told an audience of about 350 in London, including international studies researchers. He stressed China's determination to prevent the regional situation from getting out of control, to uphold order and stability and bring the issue back on the track of consultation and negotiation. However, he warned that China will "have to take resolute measures to stop acts that provoke incidents and damage peace". On June 20th, at the China-Greece Marine Cooperation Forum, he said China is committed to settling maritime disputes through dialogues and negotiations, on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law. Pledging to jointly build a "sea of peace" with other countries, Li said China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and firmly oppose to any act of hegemony in maritime affairs.

Full remark

China opposes actions that undermine mutual trust

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China welcomes peace and tranquility in its neighborhood but opposes any action that causes chaos and undermines mutual trust, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi said on June 21st. Yang made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of the two-day Third World Peace Forum (WPF) at Tsinghua University in Beijing. China is committed to peaceful development via deepened friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, said Yang. Adhering to a neighborhood diplomacy concept featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China wants to cooperate with its neighbors, he said. China's development will bring more benefits for neighboring countries as well as the world, Yang said.

Taiwan sends equipment to build pier on South China Sea island

Heavy machinery from Taiwan meant for use in building a pier has landed on Ba Binh Island (internationally known as Itu Aba Island, Taipei calls it Taiping Island), a lawmaker from the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) said June 17th. Legislator Lin Yu-fang said in a statement that a fleet comprising six ships brought the equipment to the island, located nearly 1,500 km southwest of Taiwan proper's most southern point, on May 18th. 

Vietnam

Vietnam persists with peaceful solution to South China Sea tension

China’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf will be discussed at an annual dialogue on bilateral partnership this week, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Le Hai Binh has said. Vietnam has exhausted all dialogue channels with China to seek a peaceful solution to the current tension in the South China Sea , Binh stated. Answering a reporter’s question on Vietnam ’s evidence affirming its sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly archipelagoes, Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) Tran Duy Hai said that legal documents from the feudal period show that Vietnam ’s feudal states sent fleets to exploit and perform tasks in the two archipelagoes in early date. For a country that wishes to set up its sovereignty over a territory, it must exercise activities of sovereignty under the capacity of the State. The documents held by Vietnam are legally recognised to affirm the country’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, he stressed.

National sovereignty sacred and inviolable: President Sang

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In an interview with Vietnam News Agency on China's oil rig in Vietnamese waters, Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang said that “Vietnam has sufficient historical and legal evidence proving our sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, and the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with international law. We are determined to protect every inch of our land or sea from violation. For every Vietnamese, national territorial sovereignty is sacred and sacrosanct.” “Legal measures will be used when necessary to safeguard our country’s sovereignty and territory. I would like to quote here the words that King Le Thanh Tong once said to his royal court, which were recorded in Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of Dai Viet): “How can we abandon even a single inch of our mountain, our river? You must firmly stand your ground, not letting them gradually encroach. If they do not listen, we can send our envoys to the north to clarify justice. If you dare to concede even a single inch of the land of our ancestors to the enemy, it will be a crime deserving of death.”

Prime Minister meets Chinese State Councillor in Hanoi

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on June 18th hosted a reception for visiting Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi who is in Hanoi for a meeting between the Chairs of the Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation between the two countries. Regarding China’s placement of its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s waters, PM Dung reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance as stated during bilateral communications at different levels over the past time and at the talks earlier on June 18th between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and State Councillor Yang Jiechi. Dung made clear that China’s act seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty and the agreements reached between leaders of both countries as well as infringes international law, the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the South China Sea (DOC). China’s act also threatens peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the region, while causing indignation and hurting the sentiments of Vietnamese people, putting negative impacts on the cooperation between the two Parties and countries, stated PM Dung. PM Dung requested China to withdraw its rig and ships from Vietnam’s waters and join talks for the settlement of disputes and differences between the two countries by peaceful measures in accordance with international law and the common perception of the two countries’ leaders. The PM added that at the same time, the two sides should control the situation to prevent conflicts while maintaining contact and talks to solve the current disputes. At the same time, the PM said Vietnam will resolutely struggle to defend its sovereignty by peaceful measures in line with international law.

The Philippines

Philippines seeks freeze on aggressive acts in disputed sea

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The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) wants to initiate talks on a moratorium on activities that would escalate tensions in the contested South China Sea. In an interview on ANC's Headstart on June 16th, DFA Secretary Albert Del Rosario said the proposed moratorium should be pursued while concerned countries work on the expeditious conclusion of a legally-binding Code of Conduct in the disputed waters. "We ought to maybe consider getting together and freezing all activities that escalate tension. Let's call for a moratorium in terms of activities that escalate tension," Del Rosario said. "I would like to initiate it and I think it's a reasonable approach," he added.

PH seeks quick ruling on suit vs China

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on June 17th that the Philippines would ask its lawyers to petition the Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague, the Netherlands, to issue an earlier ruling after China declared it would not get involved in the case, which should shorten the arbitration proceedings. Del Rosario said he hopes for a decision as early as next year because “the situation is getting worse every day in the South China Sea.” The Philippines has recently protested against Chinese land reclamations in at least two disputed reefs. Asked about the possibility of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos) issuing an order that would halt activities in the South China Sea, del Rosario said they were looking at the possibility of requesting that also. Philippine foreign department spokesman Charles Jose on June 19th confirmed that a formal request will be filed seeking a resolution on the case within the year or early 2015.

All Air Force bases up for US use

The Philippine Air Force chief on June 18th said that all existing air force bases in the country are open for use of American troops once all legal roadblocks to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement are cleared. Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado, PAF Commanding General, confirmed that all eight bases are open for use once they and their American counterparts decide on the matter. “We are offering the existing bases that we have,” Delgado said at the Villamor Airbase. “Such things, though, are still subject to negotiations and it still has to be discussed with our American counterparts.”

China fears spur Philippine naval upgrade

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As fears grow that China is on an aggressive South China Sea territorial grab, a sleepy Philippine village is being transformed into a major naval base that may host US warships. Ulugan Bay, a small, picturesque cove encircled by thick mangroves, has suddenly become a vital part of the Philippine military's efforts to shore up its defence of contested South China Sea islands and waters. "This is the frontline of our territorial defence operations in the Kalayaan island group," President Benigno Aquino declared last month as he inspected the progress of a recently announced upgrade of a tiny naval station on the bay. Ulugan is on the west coast of the large western Philippine island of Palawan, only 160 kilometres (100 miles) from a small group of islands and islets within the Spratly archipelago known locally as the Kalayaan group.

The U.S.

Obama urges China, neighbours to avoid escalating maritime dispute

U.S. President Barack Obama on June 20th urged China and its neighbours to peacefully resolve a dispute over oil drilling in the South China Sea and avoid escalating tensions. "It is important for us to be able to resolve disputes like maritime disputes in accordance with international law, and encourage all parties concerned to maintain a legal framework for resolving issues, as opposed to possible escalation that could have an impact on navigation and commerce," Obama told reporters. Obama made his comments after an Oval Office meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who expressed similar concerns.

U.S. Marine General urges Australia to police seas

A top U.S. Marine Pacific commander has urged close ally Australia to consider taking on a more visible regional policing role, saying he would like the country to deploy large new amphibious warships into the South and East China Seas in future to help allay security uncertainty caused by a more assertive China. Following recent clashes between China and regional neighbors including Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam in the East and South China Sea, the deputy commander of the Marines in the Pacific said U.S. allies and friends in the region were anxious to maintain a security "status quo" in Asia. "It is a bad word, but it is very applicable, I think," Major-General Richard L. Simcock said in an interview on the sidelines of a summit on American ties with Australia. Canberra is currently strengthening its alliance with Washington and in past years has tried to play a role as America's regional "deputy sheriff". "Status quo represents the security, the economic benefits, that have come to the Asia-Pacific region over the last 70 years. There's an apprehension to drastic change," Maj-Gen Simcock said.

US State Department concerns about more Chinese oil rigs

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The US State Department has expressed concern if more Chinese rigs placed in “disputed waters” in the South China Sea. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a press conference in Washington on June 20th that the US State Department did not have enough information about the placement of the rigs and so would withhold judgment. "If a rig were placed in disputed waters, that would be a concern," she told reporters. According to the spokeswoman, the US certainly has “a national interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region."

Iraq crisis 'won't distract US from Asia focus'

The United States can intervene in the ongoing Iraq crisis without losing its long-term focus on Asia, says Washington's top Asia diplomat Daniel Russel, stressing both the White House's continued commitment to the East and its ability to work on multiple fronts at once. In an interview with The Straits Times yesterday, Mr Russel, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said the US has demonstrated before that its policy is not a zero-sum game - it can and has dealt with problems on multiple fronts at the same time. "We don't have the luxury of majoring in one topic to the exclusion of another," he said. "But there is an important distinction to be made between the sustained long-term investment the US is making in the Asia-Pacific region and the necessity of dealing with crises and the challenges that confront the West and the US on a short-term basis." Mr Russel added that even in the "dark days" of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the US never abandoned Asia.

Australia

Australian senator calls on South China Sea parties to comply with international law

In a recent letter to the Vietnam Entrepreneurs Association in Australia, Ryan said that the Australian Government hailed speeches on the South China Sea situation made at the 24 th ASEAN Summit in Myanmar on May 10th-11th. Australia shares ASEAN’s great concern about recent developments in the South China Sea that have escalated the tension in the region, he said, adding that his country is not talking sides but has an interest in maintaining peace and stability, respecting international law and assuring maritime freedom. Australia urges all parties to exercise restraint and avoid provocative acts which may worsen the situation. The Governments need to clarify and follow territorial declarations and maritime rules in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

Regional Snapshots

Russia Pacific Fleet convoy calls at Vietnam military port Cam Ranh

Russia’s Pacific Fleet convoy, which was on a combat mission in the Indian Ocean, arrived at the naval base Cam Ranh in the central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa on Tuesday. The mission of the naval convoy, including big anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov, middle-sized sea-going tanker Irkut and rescue vessel Alatau is to build up naval cooperation with Vietnam, replenish food, drinking water stocks and to provide for leisure of sailors. 

Vietnamese Deputy PM Minh holds talks with Chinese State Councillor

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechion June 18 conducted a meeting in Hanoi in their capacity as Chairs of the two countries’ Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation. At the meeting, Deputy PM Minh affirmed that the Party, State, Government and people of Vietnam always place importance to maintaining and strengthening the neighbouring friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China. He said over the past years, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China has seen developments in both scale and depth as a result of efforts of both sides. He noted that however, in the context of the fine development of bilateral ties, China ’s placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep into the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam has violated international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS-1982). The move also threatens navigation security and safety as well as peace and stability in the region while hurting the Vietnamese people’s sentiments and putting negative impacts on the cooperation between the two countries. Deputy PM Minh firmly asserted Vietnam ’s sovereignty over Paracel archipelago as well as its sovereign right and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined under the UNCLOS-1982 to which both Vietnam and China are members. The Deputy PM requested that China move its rig and escort ships out of Vietnam ’s waters, control the situation to prevent conflicts and join talks for the settlement of current tensions as well as other differences between the two countries in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

Philippines, U.S. to hold naval drills near disputed shoal in South China Sea

Philippine and American troops are set to hold naval exercises this month near a disputed shoal. Five warships, including a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, and about 1,000 troops will take part in week-long Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises, which include live-fire drills 40 miles (64 km) off Zambales, on the western shores of the Philippine island of Luzon. The drills are to be held about 80 nautical miles distant from two or three ships of the Chinese coast guard are stationed on patrol off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, control of which China seized from the Philippines in 2012. The exercises are aimed at strengthening the capabilities of both sides in amphibious operations, special operations and surface warfare, besides enhancing information-sharing, navy spokesman Lieutenant Rommel Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said the drills were a regular annual event.