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Chinese envoy says marine vessels deployed in Spratlys


(updated 4:22 p.m.) The Chinese ambassador to Manila the Philippines on Thursday said Beijing deployed marine surveillance vessels in the disputed Spratly islands but that China has no plans to establish military presence in the contested area. China has not violated any existing accord with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in relation to the disputes in South China Sea — believed to be rich in oil and gas resources, Ambassador Liu Jianchao told Manila-based reporters in a briefing Thursday. "We have no intention of occupying one of the islands," the Chinese envoy said. "We clarified that those materials were intended for surveys in the area, not military but survey vessels. It is something that should not be played out." He also said that the US government should not intervene in the South China Sea disputes and allow the claimant parties to resolve the matter on their own through peaceful means. The US interest in the area is in trade navigation and peace and stability, he added. Concerns The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said the Philippines is concerned with the increasing presence and activities of Chinese military vessels within the disputed Spratly islands — being claimed by Brunei, China, Taiwan, Vietman, Malaysia and Philippines. In a recent note verbale to the Chinese embassy in Manila, the DFA asked China to clarify the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance vessel and other People's Liberation Army Navy ships at the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea which is within the Philippines' 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone. However, Filipino diplomatic experts on the South China Sea dispute are saying that the spate of Chinese activities in the Spratlys may be connected to China’s plan to stage deep-sea mining in the Indian Ocean which is pending approval before the United Nations. This, the experts who asked not to be named said, will also impact on the South China Seas. The Chinese government is insisting that China has sovereign right and jurisdiction over the South China Sea territory that dates back to the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century. Undisputed Liu said China's claims over the South China Sea have not been contested until after the World War II and then in the early 70s. But Beijing remains committed to the Declaration of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) signed by China and ASEAN in November 2002, he said. The DoC seeks to maintain status quo in the disputed region, and prevents the claimants from engaging in military activities that will affect peace and stability in the disputed area. "Peaceful means is the only option for China and we are determined to carry on with peaceful consultation with our partners, our neighbors, who are also claiming the Nansha Islands," Liu said, referring to the Spratlys in Chinese. Marine surveillance presence in the South China Sea did not violate the DoC, according to the Chinese envoy, saying that "everything was carried out within the sovereignty of China." "Everything was carried out within the principles that are involved in the DoC," Liu said. "We don’t really believe that it’s a breach of the DoC. It conforms with the spirit of the DoC." Liu said that China wants all parties involved to “find a practical solution with regards to easing up the tension and the peace and stability in the disputed area." Liu said. "I don’t want the Nansha issue to be a barrier in our generation. I think this view is also shared by my colleagues in the DFA," he added. — VS, GMA News
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