China: PHL claim over Spratlys is ‘unacceptable’

China has raised an eyebrow over the Philippines’ claim on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, saying its dominion over the territories is “well-grounded" from historical and legal perspectives. “The Philippines’ claim is unacceptable. China owns sovereignty and jurisdiction over the island and adjacent waters," according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei. The Spratly Islands are a group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, sections of which are the subject of territorial dispute among the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
View Larger Map Last April 5, the Philippines had filed a protest with the United Nations over China’s claims to the Spratlys, areas believed to be sitting on huge deposits of oil, gas, and minerals. Manila said Beijing has no legal basis under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and said parts of the Spratlys were within Philippine territory based on international laws. The Philippine protest was sent to the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. The country had questioned China’s sweeping claims laid out in its “nine-dash line" claim over the entire South China Sea submitted to the UN in 2009. (See: PHL protests Chinese map claiming Spratly Islands) Malaysia and Vietnam had earlier filed similar protests against China’s claim.—Jesse Edep/JV, GMA News