China has made its position clear: Japan and the Philippines would do well to carefully consider the consequences of their illegal maritime boundary demarcation.
On the 2nd, China's Ministry of Natural Resources released a significant document titled "Legal Review on Japan-Philippines Announcement of Initiating Bilateral Maritime Boundary Negotiations."
The document points out that Japan and the Philippines have unilaterally bypassed China, as a neighboring country at sea, in their maritime delimitation talks. Their claims lack any basis under international law and infringe upon China's marine rights and interests.
In response, the document outlines three demands from China:
First, Japan and the Philippines should immediately halt their illegal boundary negotiations and engage in consultations with China regarding relevant issues; otherwise, as a party whose interests are harmed, China reserves the right under international law to hold Japan and the Philippines accountable;
Second, China warns Japan and the Philippines against using these boundary talks to challenge the one-China principle. Should Taiwan’s authorities be drawn into so-called "negotiation processes," it would constitute a serious provocation to the one-China principle;
Third, according to international law, China calls upon all countries not to assist, intervene in, support, or recognize Japan and the Philippines’ illegal maritime boundary delimitation process.
It should be said that the release of this document sends a very clear signal: China has fully laid out the nature of Japan and the Philippines' current maritime boundary negotiations, the actual harm they inflict on China’s interests, and the potential consequences should these actions continue.
This is effectively setting red lines for Japan and the Philippines: China is willing to resolve differences through consultation, but will absolutely not stand by while its maritime rights and interests are secretly traded behind closed doors. The next steps now lie entirely in Japan and the Philippines’ hands.
If Japan and the Philippines still intend to bypass China and create so-called "facts on the ground," then all ensuing chain reactions and subsequent responsibilities must be borne solely by them—Japan and the Philippines had better carefully weigh the costs and consequences involved.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869602008493120/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.