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China has every right to protect sovereignty over S China Sea

By Tian Wenlin (People's Daily Overseas Edition)

16:39, May 02, 2012

Edited and translated by People's Daily Online

The standoff between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is catching the world's attention. The South China Sea issue has a direct bearing on a series of key issues such as China's relations with its neighbors, its peaceful development, and its relations with the United States.

What is China's bottom line in the dispute over the Huangyan Island? It depends first on the nature of the dispute.

Scholars have noted that China’s sovereignty over the island enjoy solid historical and legal bases. China was the first country to discover, occupy, and exercise jurisdiction over the island, and its sovereignty over the island is recognized by the Yalta system, which was established after the Second World War.

By contrast, the Philippines’ territorial claim on the Huangyan Island is obviously untenable.

The country’s claim over certain islands in the South China Sea is only based on the part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defining the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.

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（Editor：张茜）

Leave your comment4 comments

CK at 2012-05-02115.133.73.*: China must plan the next stepp what to do in th south sea, and small bit of action have to be taken to remind Philipines to respect the naval power of China, if not, more irritating incidences will come along the line, next and next. China must act to show that China means business.
HsunTze at 2012-05-02182.63.162.*: China has valid historical and universal recognition if not legal rights over these islands in the South China sea. The Philippines has a confusing claim. First it declared the island was not its territory and accepted China"s sovereignty. Then it did a run about turn and claim the island under the UN law of the sea. In the development that followed the Foreign secretary Alberto Rosario told ASEAN members the Philippine did not want the USA involved in the disputes but the same man turn around again, desperately seeking ASEAN support as well as having the Pinoy military and the US military teamed up in an exercise declared as a colloboration to retake an Island. Was that coincidence? a mist to blind? Or a poor political ploy. China not only has a right but has a duty to all Chinese to protect China"s sovereignty.
PD User at 2012-05-0258.161.232.*: sounds like your making excuses to go to war
HuoQiao at 2012-05-0275.72.239.*: When would China give an aggressor a Hard Lesson? The sleeping Dragon do nothing but snoring would fear by no one!