South China Sea: Philippine senators urge caution in renaming disputed area ahead of case against Beijing

Name: Beijing and Manila trade blame over ‘provocative’ moves with ship collisions near disputed shoal
Uploaded: 2023-10-30T11:30:31.000Z
Duration: 2 min 3 s
Description: Beijing and Manila trade blame over ‘provocative’ moves with ship collisions near disputed shoal

The proposed change in name is linked to a case to be filed against China before an international court next year

Renaming the West Philippine Sea as the ‘Sea of Asia’ could impact Manila’s territorial claims in the area, a senator says

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A Chinese coastguard ship sailing next to a Philippine coastguard patrol ship in the disputed South China Sea on October 4. Photo: EPA-EFE

SCMP’s Asia desk

Published: 7:30pm, 30 Oct 2023

Philippine senators have urged the Marcos Jnr administration to exercise caution as it plans to rename an area in the disputed South China Sea amid elevated tensions with Beijing.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla last week proposed renaming the West Philippine Sea as the “Sea of Asia” when his department files a case against China for environmental damage in the resource-rich waterway early next year.

The West Philippine Sea is the term used by Manila to describe the eastern parts of the South China Sea that are within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial waters.

The area was in the spotlight after the Philippine coastguard in September released a video of its underwater inspections of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal that showed “severe damage” to the marine ecosystem.

Among its findings, the coastguard found dead corals that were cleaned and crushed before being dumped into the seabed in those areas where Chinese fishing boats had been spotted in recent months.

Senator Grace Poe said maritime experts should be consulted before the nomenclature change goes ahead, or else it could impact Manila’s territorial claims in the area.

“Any initiative must not diminish our territorial claims in the disputed sea. We must preserve our rights to the Philippines’ EEZ,” Poe said.

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Beijing and Manila trade blame over ‘provocative’ moves with ship collisions near disputed shoal