West Philippine Sea and China.
Chinese vessels appear to be creating tension in some of the countries in the Southeast Asian region.
The Chinese People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia and China Coast Guard vessels regularly operate in the West Philippine Sea and are frequently seen shadowing or harassing Philippine vessels.
The West Philippine Sea is the official designation by the government of the Philippines to cover the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
China has also developed several artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea that host their military bases with ports and air bases.
The boundary of the West Philippine Sea can be seen on this image.
An exclusive economic zone, as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
States shall have due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal State and shall comply with the laws and regulations adopted by the coastal State in accordance with the provisions of this Convention and other rules of international law.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Article 57.
The exclusive economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Article 58.
Other States shall have due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal State and shall comply with the laws and regulations adopted by the coastal State etc.
Article 60.
Artificial islands, installations and structures.
In the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the coastal State shall have the exclusive right to construct and to authorize and regulate the construction, operation and use of:
(a) artificial islands; etc.
The coastal State shall have exclusive jurisdiction over such artificial islands, installations and structures, etc.
Southeast Asian countries include:
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- East Timor
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
Vietnam
East Asian countries include:
- China (inc Hong Kong and Macau)
- Japan
- Mongolia
- North Korea
- South Korea
- Taiwan
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