...SPRATLY ISLANDS DISPUTE The Spratly Islands of the South China Sea are potential sources of different natural resources. It is important for a number of reasons: the Spratly area holds significant reserves of oil and natural gas, it is a productive area for world fishing and commercial shipping, and coastal countries would get an extended continental shelf. For this reason, various countries are claiming it. These countries are the People's Republic of China, the Republic, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei. Each of these countries occupies some of the islands except Brunei. There are multiple reasons why almost every nation near this group of islands is interested in claiming it as their territory because of the vast natural resources and its strategic location. It has been believed that these islands could be holding locked in its sea-bed one of the largest deposits of oil in the world. It has also been believed that the islands have the most strategic place for commercial fishing and shipping. It has been one of the world’s most productive places. Until now, still the question of who really has the right to own the islands exists. The most active claimants of the place are the Republic of China and the Philippines. China’s claim was merely based on historical background, on belief that they were the one who first discovered the islands for two thousand years now. Their claim was based on the philosophy that since they were the first one who was present...
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...Filipinos are aware about the current problem our country is facing I regards to the issues on the West Philippine Sea, especially the ownership on Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal wherein the country of China is also on its claim. Ever since we were born, the islands have been with us, and we grew to know that it is ours, the country recognizes it, so does other countries, except China. At first it was thought that it was just an understanding, but the issue suddenly grows when the other started to send marine vessels to Scarborough Shoal for economic purposes, especially fishing. The Philippines saw China’s act as a threat to its governance over the islands and took immediate action, we know that there is nothing to be worried about, a talk is the best choice to solve problems, but it seems that China is not willing to listen. A few days after the fishing vessel incident, China sent another marine vessels “to patrol” the said islands, and upon realizing that the Philippines plea for negotiations fall into deaf ears, they decided to bring the topic to the higher ups, namely, the United States of America and the United Nations, and we are hoping that the dispute is going to be resolved in this matter, wherein both parties doesn’t have to take drastic steps just to prove their might and power over the other. On both islands, the dispute over it has been a topic not only on the Filipinos and the Chinese but...
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...China should not be permitted to claim the Spratly and Paracel Islands as its territories because it is a direct violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. If they are not challenged, the surrounding nations will not be able to use these waters to engage in trade, nor will they be able to reap the profits of the natural resources, and fighting will erupt. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, China has laid claim to several archipelagos in the South China Sea with The Spratly and Paracel Islands receiving the most attention. However, several countries in close proximity to the islands claim them also. The Council on Foreign Relations website (http://www.cfr.org) stated the South China Sea encompasses an area of about 1.3 million mi2 and China seeks to own it all. If not settled appropriately, the controversy over these territorial waters will lead to war. This area is rich in natural resources and is a very important passageway for international trade. According to the Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea first...
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...sea or part of a sea studded with islands, often synonymous with island groups, or as a large group of islands in an extensive body of water, such as sea. (De Leon, 1991) In various conferences of the United Nations on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines and other archipelago states proposed that an archipelagic state composed of groups of islands forming a state is a single unit, with the islands and the waters within the baselines as internal waters.By this concept (archipelagic doctrine), an archipelago shall be regarded as a single unit, so that the waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, irrespective of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the state, subject to its exclusive sovereignty. Despite the opposition of maritime powers, the Philippines and four other states (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Bahamas) got the approval in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea held in Jamaica last December 10, 1982. They were qualified as archipelagic states. The archipelagic doctrine is now incorporated in Chapter IV of the said convention. It legalizes the unity of land, water and people into a single entity photo courtesy of gmanews.tv The Philippines bolstered the archipelagic principle in defining its territory when it included in Article 1 of the 1987 Constitution the following: : "The national territory comprises the Philippine Archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein xxx";...
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...Assignment Submission Declaration School of __________________________ | | Name: | <please leave blank> | | | Matriculation No: | 44081 | | | Title: | South China Sea: Recipe for War Between China and ASEAN? | | | Course and Code: | ADSP | | | Lecturer/Tutor: | A/P Bernard Loo | | | Submission Date: | 8 Apr 13 | | Keep a Copy of the Assignment Please make a copy of your work. If you have submitted your assignment electronically also make a backup copy. Plagiarism and Collusion Plagiarism: to use or pass off as one’s own, the writings or ideas of another without acknowledging or crediting the source from which the ideas are taken. Collusion: submitting an assignment, project or report completed by another person and passing it off as one’s own (as defined in the NTU Honour Code. See http://academicintegrity.ntu.edu.sg/). Penalties for Plagiarism and Collusion The penalties associated with plagiarism exist to reward good academic conduct; those who cheat will be severely punished to reflect the seriousness with which NTU views cheating, and its commitment to academic integrity. Penalties may include: the requirement to revise and resubmit an assignment, receiving a lower grade, or receiving an F grade for the assignment. DeclarationI declare that this assignment is my own work, unless otherwise referenced, as defined by the NTU policy on plagiarism. I have read the NTU Honour Code and Pledge. http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sao/Pages/HonourCode...
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...ownership to Spratly Island Fact: Spratlys Islands or Kalayaan Island Group is just within the Philippines' proximity and 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone - under the International Laws Sea - UNCLOS. The Philippines as the closest and archipelagic country of the Spratly island with another Five Asian countries claim the Spratly Islands including - China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. In 1971, the Philippines officially claimed eight islands that it refers to as the Kalayaan, partly on the basis of this exploration, arguing that the islands: 1) were not part of the Spratly Islands; and 2) had not belonged to anybody and were open to being claimed. In 1972, they were designated as part of Palawan Province, Kalayaan municipality. The total land area of these islands is 790,000 sq meters. The Philippines control the following islands in the Spratlys: 1. Kota or Loaita Island 2. Lawak or Nansham Island 3. Likas or West York Island 4. Panata or Lamkian Cay 5. Pag-asa or Thitu Island 6. Parola or North East Cay 7. Patag or Flat Island 8. Rizal or Commodore Reef Chosen Discussion: How the country Philippines protect its intellectual property rights on the eight (8) officially claimed islands in Spratly? Action Taken: In various conferences of the United Nations (UN) on the law of the sea, the Philippines proposed that an archipelagic state composed of groups of islands forming a state...
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...PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 1: The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. 1. Section 1, Article 1of the 1987 Constitution 2. The national territory comprises thePhilippine archipelago, with all the islands andwaters embraced therein, and all other territoriesover which the Philippines has sovereignty orjurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial andaerial domains, including its territorial sea, theseabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and othersubmarine areas. The waters around, between, andconnecting the islands of the archipelago, regardlessof their breadth and dimensions, form part ofinternal waters of the Philippines. 3. Necessity of constitutional provision on National Territory 4. 1. Binding force of such provision under international law. A state has the power to try, hear and decide cases throughout the extent of its territory. If there is a territorial dispute it should be settled according to the international law.2. Value of provision defining our national territory...
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...different national governments. This paper will discuss the topic of international relations concerning the South China Sea dispute between the US and China (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 2). The issue of the South China Sea is a long-standing dispute between China and other Asian countries. There are mainly two groups of islands that are being contested for by these countries. The first of the two is the Paracel islands that are disputed for by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The second is the Spratly Islands that is disputed for by china and the other ASEAN country members such as Brunei, and Malaysia. China’s interest in these regions is specifically for territorial control and for control over the mineral resources that are found in the region. The US, on the other hand, has had its interests in the region specifically for their commercial purposes. The US’ interests in the islands have been mainly for keeping the commercial routes through the region to its trading partners open. Additionally, the US’ interest in the region has been for military purposes where it has been seen to try to exert its military superiority through the dispute (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 182). These interests are at odds in various ways. To begin with, the US is seen as intervening in the issue and yet it has no claim over the region, i.e., it is not a party to the dispute. Secondly, the US over the past been trying to portray itself to the ASEAN member countries as trying to check on the tendency...
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...different national governments. This paper will discuss the topic of international relations concerning the South China Sea dispute between the US and China (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 2). The issue of the South China Sea is a long-standing dispute between China and other Asian countries. There are mainly two groups of islands that are being contested for by these countries. The first of the two is the Paracel islands that are disputed for by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The second is the Spratly Islands that is disputed for by china and the other ASEAN country members such as Brunei, and Malaysia. China’s interest in these regions is specifically for territorial control and for control over the mineral resources that are found in the region. The US, on the other hand, has had its interests in the region specifically for their commercial purposes. The US’ interests in the islands have been mainly for keeping the commercial routes through the region to its trading partners open. Additionally, the US’ interest in the region has been for military purposes where it has been seen to try to exert its military superiority through the dispute (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 182). These interests are at odds in various ways. To begin with, the US is seen as intervening in the issue and yet it has no claim over the region, i.e., it is not a party to the dispute. Secondly, the US over the past been trying to portray itself to the ASEAN member countries as trying to check on the tendency...
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...Zambales and over 550 M from China’s nearest port. A stand-off occurred but eventually the Philippines’ warship pulled out of the shoal. Today, Filipino fishermen watch from the sidelines as Chinese poachers monopolize the waters surrounding the Panatag Shoal. Worse yet, China continues to build unlawful structures on disputed territories and has even designated a new naval patrol route close to Philippine shores. This naval patrol route lies clearly within the Philippines’ 200 M Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and includes areas as close as 50 M from Philippine islands. The Philippine government rightly believes that for now, its only chance of defending its territory is to shape world opinion against China’s ludicrous nine-dash line. The Nine-Dash Line and the UNCLOS In its nine-dash line, China claims a vast area of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which includes the Panatag Shoal, and the Spratly Islands (also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam). China pounds on its “absolute sovereignty” on the basis of old maps and expeditions during the Song Dynasty, and asserts that the Philippines is an illegal occupant. Using its robust and dominant naval forces, China is slowly taking over these disputed areas that are reputably rich in natural gas, oil,...
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...Chinese Economy in 1978 Economic reforms introducing capitalist market principles began in 1978 and were carried out in two stages. The first stage, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, involved the de-collectivization of agriculture, the opening up of the country to foreign investment, and permission for entrepreneurs to start up businesses. However, most industry remained state-owned. The second stage of reform, in the late 1980s and 1990s, involved the privatization and contracting out of much state-owned industry and the lifting of price controls, protectionist policies, and regulations, although state monopolies in sectors such as banking and petroleum remained. The private sector grew remarkably, accounting for as much as 70 percent of China GDP by 2005,[4] a figure larger in comparison to many Western nations[citation needed]. From 1978 to 2010, unprecedented growth occurred, with the economy increasing by 9.5% a year. China's economy became the second largest after the United States and is projected to become the world's largest economy by 2025. Natural Resources Land Resources - China has 9.6 million square kilometres land area, accounting for 22.1% of the land area of the Asian continent, and accounting for 6.4% of the world's land area, it is one of the countries which have a vast area of land. China's abundant land resources has two significant geographical features. The share of mountains which have higher elevations and greater volatility (including hill, mountainous...
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...Analysis: Beijing’s tough line vs. Manila in Panatag Shoal standoff DAVID LAGUE, REUTERS May 25, 2012 9:52pm HONG KONG—Alongside an armada of paramilitary patrol vessels and fishing boats, China has fired off a barrage of historical records to reinforce its claim over a disputed shoal near the Philippines in the South China Sea. While this propaganda broadside makes it clear Beijing will take a tough line with Manila as a standoff over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal continues into a seventh week, the exact legal justification for China's claim and the full extent of the territory affected remain uncertain, according to experts in maritime law. Like most of its claims to vast expanses of the resource-rich and strategically important South China Sea, Beijing prefers to remain ambiguous about the details, they say. This allows the ruling Communist Party to demonstrate to an increasingly nationalistic domestic audience that it can defend China's right to control a swathe of ocean territory. And, it avoids further inflaming tensions with neighbors who are already apprehensive about China's growing military power and territorial ambition. "This ambiguity serves China's domestic purpose which is to safeguard the government's legitimacy and satisfy domestic public opinion," said Sun Yun, a Washington DC-based China foreign policy expert and a former analyst for the International Crisis Group in Beijing. Potential flashpoint Rival claims to territory in the...
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...Territorial Dispute in the West Philippine Sea In accordance to the requirements for Prelims in English 2 (ZEN112) Submitted by: Patiag, Jude Emmanuel V. Blancaflor, Jazmine Blanche C. Other countries think that the International Law does not apply to “Great Powers” such as China. China took the advantage of the country’s status of being a third world country, thinking that Philippines don’t stand a chance against China. The International Law equalizes both small and big countries. That’s why the government put the fate of the whole country in the Tribunal and the compulsory dispute resolution mechanisms of UNCLOS (Del Rosario, December 4, 2015). While the case is being processed in the Arbitral Tribunal, China finished building their structures in the Panatag Shoal. The structures that they built are artificial islands with lighthouses, and they will start colonizing it. Del Rosario predicted that the finalization of the case will be finished on May 2016, six months (6) from now (Del Rosario, 2015). The Philippine government believes that this arbitration will benefit everyone. For China, it will define and clarify its maritime entitlements. For the Philippines, it will clarify what is ours, specifically our fishing rights, rights to resources and rights to enforce our laws within the EEZ (Del Rosario, December 5, 2015). The thesis statement reports the status quo of the country (Philippines) towards its territory. Because of the territorial Dispute in the...
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...CLASS PROPHESY By: Lorenn Glenz F. Raymundo Lend me your ears. In just a minute, we’ll take a trip to the future. Stand back, widen your imagination and enjoy the trip. Let’s explore the year 2031. It’s 6:00 in the morning. I was enjoying my cup of freshly brewed coffee while savoring the sceneries and cool climate of Tagaytay where I bought my new farm house a few weeks ago. When I heard my phone ringing. It was my mom reminding me about my trip back to the United States tomorrow. I’ve been living there for the past three years with my family. I was quite excited because I will be attending the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association next week. So I decided to pack my things. I was about to go to my room, when Kirbey, my dog, jumped on me. I lost my balance… and everything went dark. I can’t open my eyes. My head was terribly aching. But I can see a familiar face though the whole thing was vague. I tried to clear my sight. And my instinct was right. It was Lauren Gayle Dy Tioco. She was the resident doctor in the hospital where I was brought in after the accident. And guess what? She is not just the doctor but she is actually the owner of the hospital. She told me that everything was fine except for my sprained ankle. I just need to stay for a couple of hours and I can be discharged. I invited her for lunch but she refused. She was in a hurry to go to Manila for a meeting with our former classmates Trisha Mae Catalig and Analeen dela Cruz who are now pharmacists...
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...What teachers want parents to understand Ron Clark, an award winning teacher from Atlanta, has a few things to say to parents about how they can help, rather than hinder, their kids’ teachers. He starts off with an anecdote about a great principal who resigned because of burnout, not from dealing with unreasonable students, but from dealing with unreasonable parents. This problem, Clark says, is pervasive among teachers and administrators and something needs to be done to stop the talent drain before the pool of passionate educators runs dry. Here are some of the basic things he wants parents would understand: Teachers are professional educators, not babysitters: If they offer advice, take it into consideration rather than getting defensive. Trust the teacher’s word. Stop making excuses for your kids. It’s not the end of the world if your kid gets in trouble, or even fails: Kids need to learn about consequences. Meeting with a teacher to fight a bad grade undermines this lesson. Good grades don’t necessarily mean good teachers: It’s often the best teachers who expect the most from your kid. Instead of mindlessly bad-mouthing the teacher in front of other parents or, most of all, your kids, take the time to find out what’s going on. Having taught high school, for a millisecond, I can relate to most of Clark’s advice. Most, that is, but certainly not all of it. The article does come off, in places, as if the teacher is always right. But I do believe there is an us-against-them...
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