PH, China weigh in on Vietnam's claim in South China Sea
The Philippines and China have different take on Vietnam’s submission on its claim on its extended continental shelf in the South China Sea, with Manila saying it is open for talks with Hanoi while China criticizing the latter’s move.
The Philippine government on Thursday, July 18, said it is willing to engage in dialogue with Vietnam as it recognized the latter’s maritime rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Manila also wants to achieve "a mutually beneficially solution" for both sides, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
But for China, Vietnam’s submission of claim was not a good move as it was “unilateral,” and that it supposedly infringes on China’s territorial sovereignty and violates UNCLOS.
“We firmly oppose it and have made serious protests to Vietnam,” Lin Jian, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference in Beijing Thursday.
The Philippines, Vietnam, and China are among the six countries that have claims over the South China Sea.
The Philippines and Vietnam are fighting for their respective jurisdiction over their exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which both overlap with China's claim over the whole South China Sea.
On July 14, the Philippines made an official submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) on its entitlement to an extended continental shelf from the West Philippine Sea.
Meanwhile, Vietnam made a similar move, laying claim over its own extended continental shelf.
The continental shelf, according to UNCLOS, comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin.
In the same briefing, Lin hit the Philippines' and Vietnam's moves. He said they will "only accentuate differences and exacerbate frictions, which will in no way help resolve the disputes."
"Let me stress that according to the Rules of Procedure of the CLCS, submissions will not be considered where a dispute exists, which means the CLCS will not examine or qualify relevant submissions of Viet Nam and the Philippines on delimitation," Lin said.
"Such submissions do not have any practical effect," he added.
Nevertheless, Lin repeated China's usual pronouncement that it is committed to holding dialogues with concerned parties.