The Massive Crisis Behind the South China Sea Arbitration: If Taiping Island Becomes a 'Rock,' China Will Lose Billions in Economic Waters!

This article discusses the strategic intent of the Philippines in submitting the South China Sea dispute to international arbitration at The Hague, with Taiping Island as a primary target. The Philippines aims to prove Taiping Island is a 'rock' rather than an 'island,' thereby shrinking sovereign claims from a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea. This would cause the Republic of China to lose vast marine resources and fishing interests. The article also strongly condemns DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien for his remarks that 'Taiping Island is impossible to defend,' viewing it as an absurd abandonment of sovereignty.

2016年1月28日

A Brief Overview of the Definitions and Maritime Rights of 'Islands' vs. 'Rocks' Under UNCLOS

This article introduces the key legal definitions of 'Island' and 'Rock' under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It aims to address the South China Sea disputes where the Philippines attempted to categorize Taiping Island as a 'rock' to restrict the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights of both Mainland China and the Republic of China (R.O.C.). The piece emphasizes that the distinction lies in the capacity to 'sustain human habitation or economic life of their own' and explains the significant differences in maritime rights such as territorial sea, EEZ, and continental shelf, while also mentioning the concept of low-tide elevations.

2016年1月28日