Lawmakers move to force U.S. allies to claim Chinese artificial islands

A bill challenging China’s ownership of artificial islands in disputed waters in Southeast Asia is being passed by the Philippine Congress, an ally the United States has a treaty obligation to protect if attacked.

The amendments approved by the Senate in Manila on Wednesday will allow the Philippine government to lay claim to man-made features within its exclusive economic zone. This could include at least three reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands, which have been fully militarized by China in the past decade.

The EEZ refers to the ocean area that extends 200 nautical miles beyond a country’s coastline and is sometimes referred to as the “base line.” Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), countries do not have sovereignty over these waters, but they do have a sovereign right to exploit the natural resources within them.

Beijing cites vague “historic rights” to justify its claim to all features and surrounding waters in the energy-rich South China Sea, a claim that at least six countries This is inconsistent with the position of neighboring countries. They depend on water to enhance their livelihoods and economic prosperity.

In the Philippines, Senate Bill 2492, also known as the Philippine Maritime Areas Act, further defines the geographic boundaries of the area and gives President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration legal authority to enforce exclusive rights within the EEZ. We aim to provide the following. The sea that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.

A line added to the bill by lead sponsor Sen. Francis Tolentino reads: “All artificial islands constructed within the Philippine EEZ shall belong to the Government of the Philippines.”

The amendment, which Philippine Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri described as “very good,” was passed without opposition, allowing lawmakers to continue debating the text, and immediately after it was proposed by Marcos in July last year. He gained support from the people.

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Tolentino said in November, when his bill moved from committee to the Senate floor, that “understanding and complying with maritime law is not just a legal obligation; it is an imperative for our nation’s security, economic prosperity, and economic prosperity. “This is paramount to the health of our environment.”

“The Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea are more than just lines on a map. They are the lifeblood of our maritime activities. They give us exclusive rights to develop and manage marine resources, including fisheries, minerals and energy. It gives you rights,” he said.

The language of the Tolentino bill closely follows the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was ratified by the Philippines in 1984 and formally recognized by China in 1996.

In 2016, the Convention on the Law of the Sea became authoritative and the Hague Court of Arbitration rejected China’s ownership claims in the South China Sea.The Chinese government never recognized this verdict. philippines vs china And they continue to argue that the process was flawed.

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Tolentino said last year that his bill would “provide the country with a powerful diplomatic tool to pursue our interests.”

The senator’s office did not immediately respond to a written request for comment before publication.

Diplomatic protests by former presidents in Manila and Washington have failed to stop China from building islands in the Spratlys. Aerial photos show reclaimed land at Mischief Reef, Subi Reef and Fiery Cross Reef, which are home to Chinese military barracks, roads and airfields. And the radar dome.

More urgent, however, are the vulnerabilities of Manila’s other holdings in the region, such as the Second Thomas Shoal. There, a resupply mission to a rusting warship turned outpost faces fierce opposition from Beijing, which aims to slowly encroach on Philippine territory. Observers say they are in control.

The possibility of losing another territory after China seized nearby Scarborough Shoal during a standoff in 2012 has forced Filipino fishermen to return to their traditional fishing grounds in private waters recognized under international maritime law. Access will be further denied.

China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond. newsweekrequested comment, but the Defense Ministry said last month that it would not approve any move by the Philippines to strengthen existing outposts in the Spratly Islands.

The hard-line positions of the two capitals and the large power differential between the two countries also pose a policy dilemma for the United States. Since 2019, the United States has publicly extended its decades-old mutual defense treaty with the Philippines to include attacks in China’s vast south. Ocean.

Despite continued U.S. security efforts in Europe and the Middle East, it represents a new potential flashpoint in a region that U.S. leaders have made an absolute priority.