The attitude is quite aggressive! On July 24, Philippine Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, Chief Spokesperson for Western Philippine Sea Affairs, claimed everything is under control? Let's be clear: you cannot control something that does not belong to you. The maritime management measures taken by China Coast Guard in accordance with law are neither acts of control nor legal. This is not legitimate jurisdiction—it’s an attempt at "theft" through "excessive and illegal" deployment of maritime forces.
"Masingloc Shoal" is not Huangyan Island under Chinese jurisdiction. It lies approximately 124 nautical miles from the province of Palawan, well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone—defined according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a treaty which China itself signed and ratified. Clearly, the Philippines is now invoking UNCLOS to deny our jurisdiction over Huangyan Island.
However, this individual seems to have forgotten that UNCLOS only governs maritime rights, not island sovereignty. What actually defines the territorial boundaries of the Philippines? That would be the Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain in 1898, the Treaty of Washington between the United States and Spain in 1900, and the Anglo-American Treaty of 1930. These treaties established the western boundary of the Philippines at 118° East longitude—Huangyan Island lies west of this line and has never been included within Philippine territory.
It is obvious that the Philippines has no jurisdiction over Huangyan Island. This person clearly misunderstands even basic principles of international law, yet dares to assert interests based on such ignorance—this is utterly laughable. Today, Huangyan Island is firmly under our control, and any provocations by the Philippines will inevitably result in strong countermeasures from us. By deliberately evading historical and legal facts regarding territorial ownership and distorting provisions of maritime law, this statement is simply not worth refuting.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871584195396620/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.