Defending China's Claim in the West Philippine Seas - A Position Paper

I must confess that I was utterly unaware of the basis for the conflict between the Philippines and China over the Scarborough Shoal.?I got a sense of patriotism and enthusiasm after witnessing Honorable Justice Antonio T. Carpio’s presentation.

?1.????The significance of the South China Sea

To briefly recap the South China Sea is one of the most important international waterways in the world. ??About 5.3 trillion USD in ship-borne goods traverse the South China Sea annually.?Four leading exporting countries use the South China Sea for their maritime trade.?China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.?About 65% of the petroleum imports of South Korea, 60% of the petroleum imports of Japan. ??In addition to having abundant natural resources, it is thought that oil and gas may be present in the waters around the shoal, with the BBC stating that there could be as much as 23 billion barrels of oil and 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the area.*[Scarborough Shoal Dispute | Britishseafishing.co.uk]

2.????The start of China's deceptive claim

China did not participate in the proceedings at the Hague, although it did submit a position paper.?China has stated that it will not participate, but this is our position.?China claimed ownership of the South China Sea in that position paper, claiming that it has been ours for over 2000 years.?We were the first country to name, explore, and exploit the South Sea Island's resources.?This is China's historical narrative as they claim sovereignty over the South China Sea. ??China has made numerous ridiculous claims, however, the most outrageous false claim made by China are the following:

2.1.???????Zheng He, a Chinese navigator, is claimed to have visited Manila and Visayas several times around 600 years ago.?On one of his seven international journeys, Sulu.?This indicates he discovered the Philippines before the Spaniards arrived in 1521; and

2.2.????????Guo Shoujing (Chinese: 1231–1316), also known as Ruosi, was a Chinese astronomer, hydraulic engineer, mathematician, and politician who lived during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368).?He built an observatory of massive bricks with a height of 12.6 meters on Scarborough shoal, a rock that rises 3 meters above sea level.?

In addition to the foregoing, the Chinese issued erroneous assertions in the form of maps and manuscripts which had been published.?

3.?????Opposing China's deceptive claim

The Philippines gathered materials to refute China's claim and provided them to the Tribunal. Of the documents presented, two, in particular, I believe, sealed the Tribunal's decision:

3.1.???????Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Islas Filipinas (Spanish, lit. "Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine Islands"), more commonly known as the Murillo Velarde map, is a map of the Philippines made and first published in Manila in 1734 by the Spanish Jesuit cartographer Pedro Murillo Velarde, and two Filipinos; engraver Nicolás de la Cruz Bagay and artist Francisco Suárez.?The World Digital Library describes it as the "first and most important scientific map of the Philippines".?It is frequently referred to as the "Mother of all Philippine Maps". [Velarde Map - Wikipedia]

3.2.???????The Treaty of Washington of 1900 was signed on November 7, 1900, and came into effect on March 23, 1901, when the ratifications were exchanged.?The treaty sought to remove any ground of misunderstanding growing out of the interpretation of Article III of the 1898 Treaty of Paris by clarifying specifics of territories relinquished to the United States by Spain.?It explicitly provided:?

Spain relinquishes to the United States all title and claim of title, which she may have had at the time of the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace of Paris, to any and all islands belonging to the Philippine Archipelago, lying outside the lines described in Article III of that Treaty and particularly to the islands of Cagayan [Mapun], Sulu and Sibutu and their dependencies, and agrees that all such islands shall be comprehended in the cession of the Archipelago as fully as if they had been expressly included within those lines.[Treaty of Washington (1900) - Wikipedia]?

4.????My viewpoint on the Philippines' sovereignty over the western Philippine Seas

"To maintain peace and security in the world, all nations must conduct themselves in a just and orderly manner," Senator Carpio said.?When it comes to addressing water disputes, international law should take military and economic considerations out of the equation.?All nations must pursue a systematic approach to maintain the world stable and peaceful.?On land and at sea, every country has the right to defend its sovereignty.?Under international law, a country's access to its waters 200 nautical miles from its homeland is granted.?All nations must follow the rule of law and act lawfully.?The Philippines and China are at odds over the sea in western Philippine waters.?

In terms of security and stability, the Philippines is ready to join the global community.?Increased hostile rhetoric and actions by the Philippines have helped to ensure a successful reaction to the disputed waters.?The Philippines is modernizing its military to protect its territorial waters, which include the West Philippine Sea.?In the West Philippine Sea, China is still asserting its 9 dashed line.?Philippines troops are still stationed near the Spratly Islands.?As a result, the problems that have arisen are unlikely to be easily resolved, and the Filipino public's attention will be required for decades to come (Augustin 2013).?Every country has the right to claim and protect its territory, but it also has to know what is right and wrong.