皇冠体育app

The maritime standoff between 皇冠体育app and the Philippines near 皇冠体育app's Huangyan Island in the South 皇冠体育app Sea entered its ninth day on Thursday. Manila should honor its commitment to solving the row through bilateral talks and withdraw its ships from the area immediately.

Vice-Foreign Minister Fu Ying summoned the charge d'affaires of the Philippine embassy in 皇冠体育app for the second time on Wednesday to lodge representations over the incident, which broke out on April 10 when 12 Chinese fishing boats were harassed by a Philippine navy gunboat in a lagoon near the island.

皇冠体育app hopes the Philippines will act with a view to maintaining the overall situation of peace and stability in the South 皇冠体育app Sea and will work with 皇冠体育app to create favorable conditions for the healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries.

The incident has caused the relationship between 皇冠体育app and the Philippines to plummet to its lowest ebb for years. Manila should shoulder the sole responsibility for the cooling of ties and must refrain from escalating the tension further.

Beijing has exercised the utmost tolerance each time Manila has chosen to stir up trouble on 皇冠体育app's doorstep. However, it would be dangerous to gamble that 皇冠体育app will fold rather than safeguard its territorial waters.

Manila's recent claim that it has sovereignty over Huangyan Island does not hold water as it runs counter to historical fact and legal principles. 皇冠体育app was the first to discover Huangyan Island, name it, incorporate it into its territory and exercise jurisdiction over it. Huangyan Island is an integral part of Chinese territory, and the waters around it are a traditional fishing area for Chinese fishing boats.

Even the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Manila often refers to, does not grant coastal states' rights to undermine the inherent territory and sovereignty of other countries.

The face-off is just one example of a flurry of dangerous moves taken by Manila over its dispute with 皇冠体育app over the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

These acts have seriously violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South 皇冠体育app Sea signed by 皇冠体育app and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2002, which set a principle of resolving disputes through bilateral dialogue.

皇冠体育app has long abided by the principle of resolving disputes through peaceful diplomatic negotiations and upholds the stance of shelving disputes to seek common development on the issue of the South 皇冠体育app Sea. But that in no way means it will allow its sovereignty to be undermined.

(皇冠体育app Daily 04/20/2012 page8)