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Activities of the Claimants

China

China urges end to 'microphone diplomacy' over U.S. differences

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Speaking at a meeting on Capitol Hill to mark the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Congress's U.S.-China Working Group, Wu Xi, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Washington, said individual issues should not be allowed to overshadow the overall U.S.-China relationship and that common interests, including bilateral trade volume of $550 billion last year, "far outweigh" differences between the countries. "Resorting to microphone diplomacy, or pointing fingers at each other, will not solve any problems." "The right choice is to recognize our differences, respect each other and engage in real dialogue," she said. "The choice we make today will decide the future of our two great

CNOOC plans drilling campaign in South China Sea

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) plans to drill 119 wells in the western waters of the South China Sea over the next 15 years, marking a major deepwater expansion by the state-owned giant, a company official told Interfax. CNOOC aims to discover 422 billion cubic metres of proven gas reserves in the area from 2014 to 2030, said Wang Zhenfeng, deputy general manager of CNOOC’s Zhanjiang branch, on the sidelines of the 11th Offshore China Convention in Shenzhen on June 11th. The company has found 136 bcm of proven reserves since 2013. CNOOC will drill five wells in the western waters this year at a cost of RMB 300 million ($48 million) each – two of which will be at the Lingshui 25-1 discovery and another two at the Lingshui 18-1 find.

China's lone aircraft carrier conducts drills as sea disputes fester

China’s  sole aircraft carrier conducted exercises on June 19th, the navy said without specifying its location. The Liaoning conducted drills and tests in the "relevant sea" along with carrier-based fighter jets after setting sail from the coastal city of Qingdao, the navy said. China had worked to boost its pilots' skills with fighter jets, including the Shenyang J-15, in recent years, the statement added, saying the navy had tested the power, war-readiness and technological capabilities of its aircraft.

PLA has right to ram Japanese warships in South China Sea: admiral

Admitting that Japan has the capability to project its naval force to the South China Sea, Admiral Li Jie of China's People's Liberation Army said Chinese warships also have the right to ram Japanese ships in the disputed region, according to the nationalistic Chinese tabloid Global Times. The P-3C anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and E-2C and E-767 early warning aircraft of the Japan Self-Defense Forces can fly directly from Japan to the area, he said, while its KC-767J refueling aircraft can extend the operational range of fighters such as the F-15J and F-2. However, the admiral warned that Japanese politicians think carefully about sending aircraft or warships to the South China Sea because China may not only express its opposition through diplomatic channels. Chinese warships have the legal right to ram vessels that intrude on national territory, according to Li. Meanwhile, regarding Japan’s critisms about Chinese land reclamation in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei on June 12th said: “Japan is not a party concerned to the South China Sea issue. Recently it has behaved in an abnormal way, deliberately thrust a hand in the South China Sea issue, driven a wedge among regional countries and maliciously created tensions in the South China Sea. Japan’s moves do no good to solve the South China Sea disputes, or safeguard peace and stability of the South China Sea. It also severely damages the political and security mutual trust between China and Japan, and runs counter to the momentum of improving bilateral relations. We once again urge the Japanese side to abide by its commitment of not taking sides on the South China Sea disputes, put an immediate end to the hyping up of the South China Sea issue and groundless accusations against China.”

Vietnam

Vietnam welcomes constructive contributions to East Sea (South China Sea) peace

Vietnam welcomes and supports any constructive, positive and responsible contribution by countries within and outside the region for peace and stability in the East Sea, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh told a regular press conference in Hanoi on June 11th. He said the current situation in the East Sea is cause for deep concern among the international community and explicitly unbeneficial to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region as well as in the East Sea. His statement was in response to reporters’ reference to the recent issuance of a declaration by the G7 that protests China’s land reclamation in the East Sea and any act of threat, coercion, use of force and unilateral move to change the status quo on a large scale. Asked about Vietnam’s position on a Chinese oil and gas exploration ship’s travel into Vietnam’s territorial waters on June 6th, which then sailed through areas where Vietnam’s oil drilling rigs are operating before heading to the Gulf of Thailand, Binh said Vietnamese law enforcement units had closely monitored its movement. Following necessary measures, the ship sailed out of Vietnam’s waters on June 8th, he said.

The Philippines

Philippines, Vietnam first to suffer environmental cost of China's reclamation

During the United States Embassy Seminar for Regional Media at the Philippines, Philippine former environment secretary Angel Alcala said China's construction projects could result in biodiversity loss and affect fish supply in the long term. He noted that the Philippines and Vietnam two of China's rival claimants in are the countries nearest the China construction projects. Alcala explained that the reclamation would disrupt the distribution of larvae or developed fish eggs. "The atolls are very important in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) because they are actually concentrations and in the center of the atolls are the lagoons and the lagoons have the fishes and the larvae of the fish," Alcala said. He said the larvae are transported to different countries through currents. "If you completely enclose the lagoon with roads or airplanes, you reduce the probability of larvae from escaping from inside the lagoons," the former environment chief said. Alcala said the disruption would put a dent on fish supply since the larvae cannot develop into adult fishes.

PHL to launch three-part documentary on South China Sea

As the country marks its 117th independence as a nation, the Philippines will launch on June 12th a three-part television documentary defending its position against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea. “Our objective is to inform our people,” Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said, adding it is meant to “raise awareness” on the South China Sea issue and to “rally support of our people behind  our Philippine government’s policy and action.”

Malaysia

Malaysia to lodge protest over Chinese Coast Guard 'intruders'

Last week, a Chinese Coast Guard ship anchored at Luconia Shoals, an area of islets and reefs about 150 km (93 miles) north of Malaysian Borneo. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on June 8th, Malaysian National Security Minister Shahidan Kassim said "this is not an area with overlapping claims. In this case, we're taking diplomatic action." He added that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak would raise the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Military solution not preferred to solve overlapping claims in South China Sea

Winding up the debate on the 11th Malaysia Plan for the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat on June 10th, Malaysia Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said, any overlapping claim in the region should be resolved in the context of ASEAN, with diplomatic ties and military diplomacy being the best way. He said military solution would clearly not bring stability to the region. "If we are alone, small countries like ours will not able to handle heavy issues involving major powers, but there are 10 ASEAN countries. "If we can create a greater understanding and strong unity on common interests, we are here to make a stand, no major power can undermine us," he added. Hishammuddin said the ASEAN unity depended on the engagement of all member states to create understanding for the common good.

The U.S.

Pentagon chief urges China to stop island building

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U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter met at the Pentagon on June 11th with Gen. Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, Defense Department officials reported. In a statement summarizing the meeting, "Carter reiterated US concerns on the South China Sea and called on China and all claimants to implement a lasting halt on land reclamation, cease further militarization and pursue a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with international law." Carter had previously accused China of being out of step with international rules in its conduct in the South China Sea.

U.S. Pacific Command chief would welcome SDF patrols in S. China Sea

In an interview with Japanese media, U.S. Adm. Harry Harris said that Japan's P-3C patrol aircraft has strong capabilities and is "very suitable" for patrolling in the South China Sea. Harris said the United States sees the South China Seas as "international water, not territorial water of any country," adding "Japan is welcome to conduct operations on the high seas." "I welcome the opportunity to work closely with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships and aircraft, and Air Self-Defense Force aircraft throughout the region," said Harris, who assumed the current post in May.

Australia

Australia warns on South China Sea

Speaking to the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australiaa Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has played down the prospect of conflict between China and the US over the South China Sea but warned Beijing not to declare an air defence zone (ADIZ) in the region. She added that Australia was concerned that any unilateral action in the region could "could raise tensions, could risk miscalculation or misjudgment and could ultimately end in some form of  some form of conflict”. She maintained that Australia had been right to raise concerns about the ADIZ and would do so again despite the potential negative economic impact such a decision would have. Meanwhile, Australian Vice Admiral David Johnston said that Australian ships and aircraft are in the South China Sea as part of “normal activities”.

Regional Snapshots

G7 leaders oppose island-building in South China Sea

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The G7 leaders on June 9th expressed their opposition to coercion and reclamation activities in the South China Sea. During their annual summit held from June 7th to 8th in Elmau, Germany, the leaders issued a declaration of the G7 nations' stand on numerous crises in the world. They also endorsed an earlier declaration issued by the G7 Foreign Ministers in Lübeck, Germany issued in April. "We strongly oppose the use of intimidation, coercion or force, as well as any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo, such as large scale land reclamation," the G7 leaders' latest declaration read, without directly mentioning China and the hotly disputed South China Sea. The statement highlighted the importance of peaceful dispute settlement and the lawful use of the world's oceans. "We are committed to maintaining a rules-based order in the maritime domain based on the principles of international law, in particular as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea," the statement added. Regarding G7’s statement, China on June 9th said that “What the G7 does and says are way out of step with the facts and the internationally recognized principles. China strongly urges the G7 to respect the facts, shed prejudices, stop making irresponsible remarks, and do more to help properly handle and settle the disputes and promote regional peace and stability.”

South China Sea dispute a global concern, PHL tells UN

At the annual meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Lourdes Yparraguirre said that the territorial row stemming from China's "expansionist policy" in the South China Sea should be a cause for international concern. Yparaguirre also scored China for violating not just the UNCLOS, but also: the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea;  the Convention on Biological Diversity; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). She said China's violation involves its accelerated large scale ocean filling, or “reclamation” in several disputed features in the Spratly Islands. She also cited data from marine scientific experts that China’s destruction of the coral reef systems in the South China Sea and their transformation into over 800 hectares of landfill has resulted in an estimated economic loss of US$281 million annually. In respone, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN Wang Min sai that construction activities will not undermine other countries' lawful right to the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, but will facilitate their joint response to challenges on the sea and provide more guarantee for navigation safety.

ASEAN senior official: East Sea (South China Sea) disputes could be solved

Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and relevant conferences in Malaysia’s Kuching city, ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat Director-General Ikram Yaakob said all involved parties, including China, pledged to seek an agreement regarding the East Sea issue. He added that the most important thing for the parties involved is to reach consensus on settling disputes via peaceful means and in line with international law. Meanwhile, Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said at the country’s parliamentary meeting on June 10 that military action is not a suitable means of settling disputes in the East Sea. He added that any disagreements in the region must be solved through diplomatic channels and called on ASEAN member states to increase mutual understanding and unity to deal with major challenges, involving major powerss.