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LettersSouth China Sea: 4 points to consider on China-Philippines ‘gentleman’s agreement’
- Readers discuss China’s position on the South China Sea, and US action against student protesters
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China must adhere to the international rules-based order established by global maritime treaties of which it is a member. In response to “China-Philippines ‘gentleman’s agreement’ on South China Sea is best adhered to” (April 26), I would like to point out that, first, the Philippines is a democracy. Even a president cannot enter into any agreement that infringes on the country’s territorial sovereignty.
Second, this “agreement” was simply verbal with no evidence in writing.
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Third, China had said in 1995 that its installations at Mischief Reef were not military in nature, but shelter for fishermen. Now we have what looks like a full-blown military base complete with radars and a runway near the Philippine island of Palawan.
Fourth, the international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled that China’s claims on the area within the “nine-dash line” had no legal basis. The nine-dash line doesn’t even have longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates.
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These rocks – which are roughly 1,000km from Hainan – cannot support human life. Therefore, they cannot have their own exclusive economic zone. Meanwhile, the closest EEZ-generating island here is Palawan in the Philippines.
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