Commentary
BEIJING – Japan and the Philippines’ announcement to start talks on the delimitation of their so-called exclusive economic zone and continental shelf is a sensitive political move that infringes upon China’s maritime rights and interests and undermines regional stability. This unjustified and unconstructive action should be corrected immediately.
Such a unilateral move clearly violates international law. The waters that Japan and the Philippines seek to delimit are closely tied to the maritime rights and interests of Taiwan and its surrounding waters, thus involving China’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
Global basic norms clearly stipulate that a bilateral deal must not infringe upon a third party’s lawful rights and interests, particularly in areas with unresolved sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction disputes. This principle is also clearly reflected in the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
No country has the right to make arrangements concerning China’s maritime rights and interests without China’s approval.
In full awareness of China’s position, Japan and the Philippines have unilaterally pushed forward with the so-called delimitation negotiations. This is not an ordinary act of maritime coordination, but a move that substantially encroaches upon China’s rights and interests.
Their so-called delimitation plan is nothing more than castles in the sand. On the one hand, the maritime entitlements of some northern Philippine islands and their relevant waters have long been complicated by historical factors. The maritime claims that the Philippines has extended outward and taken for granted are by no means free of dispute.
On the other hand, Japan’s Nansei Islands, and the Ryukyu issue in particular, carry profound historical complexities. The nature, scope and legal effect of post-WWII arrangements, US trusteeship, and the subsequent transfer of administrative rights have long been sensitive topics in international politics and historical research. Japan cannot simply erase relevant historical and legal disputes through unilateral administrative control or existing domestic legislation.
While their statement ostensibly invokes international law and negotiation-based solutions, it makes a veiled reference to so-called arbitration and related precedents. This exposes the entangled political motives underlying their position and reveals an apparent attempt to shape public opinion.
Japan has been working to break free from the constraints of its “exclusively defense-oriented policy,” while the Philippines has consistently engaged external forces under the guise of maritime issues to bolster security cooperation of a confrontational nature.
Their high-profile announcement of maritime delimitation talks at this juncture is essentially a calculated attempt to hype up so-called regional threats, seeking to generate fresh narratives to justify their respective military and security agendas.
Moreover, both countries have a long record of misconduct at sea. Japan is involved in multiple disputes over its maritime claims. The Philippines has been plagued by deficiencies in marine environmental protection, coastal ecological restoration, maritime law enforcement, as well as port, shipping and marine infrastructure governance. Rather than bridging these gaps, it repeatedly resorts to political rhetoric, leveraging maritime issues to advance its own agenda.
Efforts to resolve maritime disputes should be based on genuine respect for historical facts and international law, and should be conducted through inclusive, prudent and good-faith dialogue.
Any approach that bypasses stakeholders, harms the interests of third parties, or serves geopolitical competition is not a proper way to settle disputes. Attempts to politicize, internationalize, or escalate antagonism in regional issues will further increase the risk of miscalculation and undermine regional stability.
What countries in the Asia-Pacific truly need is open cooperation, proper dispute management, and a focus on development. This is certainly not about the deliberate creation of new friction points, or the pursuit of private gains at the expense of China’s legitimate rights and interests, including Taiwan.
Japan and the Philippines should respond to China’s concerns in an earnest way, immediately cease their wrongful actions, and return to the right track for maintaining regional peace and stability.
– Xinhua
