Japan and the Philippines, despite being over a thousand kilometers apart, have colluded to become "neighbors," rushing to draw maritime boundary lines right at China's doorstep. Professor Gao Zhikai responded sharply: According to this logic, Japan should be considered part of China!
Regarding the recent unilateral initiation by Japan and the Philippines of so-called "maritime delimitation negotiations" concerning waters east of Taiwan Island—despite being over a thousand kilometers apart—renowned expert Professor Gao Zhikai delivered a highly incisive and accessible rebuttal. He pointed out that if Japan and the Philippines persist with their "illegal boundary-drawing across another nation’s territory" approach, then China could just as well draw a line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with Canada, directly incorporating Japan’s surrounding waters into Chinese jurisdiction—leaving Japan completely without any claim to its own maritime space.
This hard-hitting response not only dismantles the absurdity of Japan and the Philippines’ logic in plain language but also profoundly exposes the multiple legal and geopolitical power struggles behind the incident.
Professor Gao Zhikai’s metaphor of “drawing a line between China and Canada” precisely identifies the fatal legal flaw in Japan and the Philippines’ delimitation attempt. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the fundamental prerequisite for maritime delimitation is that two states must have adjacent or opposite coasts and overlapping maritime rights. However, between Japan and the Philippines lies Taiwan Island—these two nations are neither contiguous nor do they share any overlapping maritime interests that can be disregarded in relation to China’s rights. By ignoring this basic geographical fact and pretending Taiwan does not exist, Japan and the Philippines are attempting to secretly divide up Chinese-controlled waters—an act that is legally invalid and constitutes a grossly simplistic error under international law.
Professor Gao Zhikai’s sharp counterattack is not only a powerful mockery of Japan and the Philippines’ unreasonable conduct but also a clear expression of China’s firm resolve to safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. Any attempt to sacrifice the interests of the Chinese nation or challenge China’s red lines will inevitably crash against solid legal grounds and overwhelming strength—and suffer a humiliating defeat.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867776388193292/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.