Beijing beefs up its "police powers" in the South China Sea
Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) - In order to boost its territorial claims, Beijing said that it is beefing up its police powers in the disputed South China Sea, an area also claimed by other nations like Vietnam and Philippines.
Under the new rules, foreign fishing boats have to ask Beijing's permission to operate within most of the vast waterway, which is very important given its strategic role in trade and its vast seabed natural resources.
The move took effect this month, provoking the reaction of other nations, starting with the Philippines. In fact, Manila has asked its embassy in Beijing to get more information on the new rules, which could exacerbate already poor relations and increase the danger of a regional war.
International analysts and policy experts fear that Xi Jinping wants China to rule the area, a step that could eventually trigger a bloody conflict with neighbours. Beijing in fact claims 2 million square km of water. The South China Sea is an estimated 3.5 million square km in size.
Hainan's legislature approved new rules in November whereby foreign fishing vessels need approval to enter from an unspecified by "relevant and responsible department" of the Chinese government.
Although difficult to enforce given the size of the area, China's new rules inevitably tell its neighbours that Beijing plans to claim (and control) the area. Now foreign governments must take "seriously" China's warnings.
For now, only the Philippines has responded officially to China's move, openly expressing its concern for the impact of Beijing's action on the region.
Filipino Foreign Affairs Department spokesperson Raul Hernandez said Manila asked its embassy in Beijing to get more information on the rules.
A senior Filipino naval official also said that China's rules violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and that China has no legal basis to enforce such measures outside its territorial waters and its 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).off Hainan Island.
In the East China Sea, China has also been involved in a dispute with Japan for sovereignty over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and with the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal.
Beijing's sovereignty claims in the South China Sea include the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan. Almost uninhabited, the islands and surrounding waters are rich in resources and raw materials.
Hegemony in the sea is strategically important for trade and the exploitation of seabed oil and natural gas reserves, in an area where two thirds of world's shipping takes place.
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