China’s new official map violates international law, says Palace

Chinese State Media

MANILA — China’s newly unveiled official map, which includes an expanded claim in the South China Sea, violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a Palace official said on Thursday.

China appears to have extended its maritime claims from the original nine-dash line to a ten-dash line, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a press briefing.

“To put it simply, dinrowing lang nila ‘yon. Lahat naman ng drawing na ‘yan ay na-supersede na ng UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Coloma added.

The new map shows that China’s territory is closer to the land mass of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, which are all claimants to islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already made a statement concerning the matter.“Nagpahiwatig na po ang ating Department of Foreign Affairs at ‘yan din naman ang posisyon natin doon sa buong usapin hinggil diyan. Iyan din ang posisyon ng iba’t ibang mga bansa na mayroong claims to maritime entitlements in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea, na hindi naman puwedeng ibatay sa drawing,” said Coloma.

He reiterated President Benigno S. Aquino III’s position that the maritime dispute should be resolved peacefully.

“Kaya patuloy pa rin ang ating paghahanap ng pangmatagalang solusyon na hahantong sa kaayusan at katahimikan sa buong rehiyon,” said Coloma.