Manila stores to pull Chinese-made globes showing claims to islands

Bookshops selling Chinese-made globes in the Philippines have agreed to withdraw them from sale after being told by the government that they depict "misinformation" by reflecting Beijing's claim to almost the entire South China Sea.

The globes show the so-called "nine-dash line", long used by Beijing to depict the extent of its claim to sovereignty over waters and islands that are also claimed by other Asian nations, including the Philippines.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said yesterday: "The DFA has been able to validate that educational globes which reflect China's nine-dash lines encompassing the South China Sea are being retailed locally by establishments that are totally unaware about the maritime disputes between the Philippines and China."

He added: "The management of these establishments are proactively prepared to discuss with the DFA remedies to be able to address the misinformation contained in the educational globes. The Philippines asserts that China's nine-dash line claim is an excessive claim in violation of international law."

A group of Filipinos on the social networking site Facebook first drew attention to the globes.

Telecommunications engineer David Valencia said he and his friends were annoyed after one of them posted photos of two globes: one, bought three years ago in Manila, had the dashes marked "discreetly". Another globe on sale at the National Book Store chain "have the lines, very vulgar", Valencia said. He added that he had asked the bookshop - the largest in the country, with 128 outlets - to stop selling it but received no reply.

He then e-mailed news outlets because, he says: "We feel we owe it to our country. Others may find this issue of little consequence, but if we cannot address this little issue, how do you think we can address an issue the size of West Philippine Sea [South China Sea]?