日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

US EUROPE AFRICA ASIA 中文
Opinion / Op-Ed Contributors

US provocative act in South China Sea

By Shen Dingli (China Daily) Updated: 2015-10-28 15:13

US provocative act in South China Sea

The guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (front) conducts a trilateral naval exercise with the Turkish and South Korean Navy on May 25, 2015. [Photo/IC] 

The US has started a new series of games with China by sending its guided missile destroyer USS Lassen within 12 nautical miles of China's isles in the South China Sea.

We need to define the legal status of built-up islands and reefs according to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of Sea. It should be made clear that the land claim projects are carried out in China’s land and islets, rather than as the US media claim being artificial islands that have no territorial sea of their own.

According to Article 121 of UNCLOS, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this Convention applicable to other land territory.

Article 6 of UNCLOS says: “In the case of islands situated on atolls or of islands having fringing reefs, the baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the seaward low-water line of the reef...”

However, since people can’t habitat reefs, exclusive economic zones can’t be drawn from them.

However, according to Article 13: “A low-tide elevation is a naturally formed area of land which is surrounded by and above water at low tide but submerged at high tide. Where a low-tide elevation is situated wholly or partly at a distance not exceeding the breadth of the territorial sea from the mainland or an island, the low-water line on that elevation may be used as the baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea.”

Some of China’s islands and reefs in South China Sea belong to the categories of islands and low-tide elevations. But after the completion of the land reclamation projects it is impossible to prove that the islets used to be low-tide elevations that can’t claim territorial sea.

And according to Article 17: “Subject to this Convention, ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.”

Therefore, according to UNCLOS, the US can enter the adjacent waters of such islands and reefs in the name “innocent passage”, even the waters are China’s territorial sea. But the US congress hasn’t ratified UNCLOS yet, which makes things difficult.

But there is a heated debate over whether warships enjoy the “innocent passage” within other countries’ territories seas. And it should be noted that “innocent passage” goes both ways and therefore the Chinese navy are entitled to the same right to enter the waters adjacent to US islands and reefs according to the US’ logic.

As for the reefs standing above high tide before construction, China owns the right to the territorial seas. If the US wants innocent passage through these waters, it should apply for China’s permission and be in accordance with China’s Law on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone.

The US’ bold military provocation will not only damage Sino-US relations, but also could result in the risk of conflicts in the waters if it persists.

It is obvious that US took innocent passage as the excuse for its warship USS Lassen entering into or getting close to China’s territorial seas. This is similar to US selling weapons to Taiwan even after China and US established their diplomatic relationship. There is no international law making it legal to sell weapons to parts of a sovereign country.

The US’ true attention in sailing Lassen to South China Sea was out of fear for the growing capacity of China to project its power in the waters after the completion of its land reclamation projects in the South China Sea. Since China can enhance management of larger area of waters, this may further change the geopolitical pattern, and the US worries that the change will undermine its dominant position of in Asia-Pacific.

Building up islands or reefs, however, is allowed under international law. The US can’t slow China’s pace of building up its islands and reefs by simply flexing its military muscle in South China Sea.

The US should face up to the reality that it’s no longer a unipolar world, and seek to engage more with rather than contain China.

The author is a professor at and associate dean of the Institute of International Studies in Fudan University, Shanghai.

Most Viewed Today's Top News
...
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产精品二区视频 | 久久有精品 | 四虎影视在线观看 | 在线va | 三级欧美韩日大片在线看 | 不卡av一区二区 | 欧美自拍| 伊人久久婷婷 | 久久国产精品网站 | 国产精品一区不卡 | 免费一级a毛片夜夜看 | 在线观看的 | 国产一区二区三区网站 | 黄色短视频免费看 | 在线草 | 天天爽爽| 欧美性色黄 | 中文字幕第一页在线 | 国产成年人在线观看 | 欧美久久久久久久 | 国产一区二区免费 | 中文字幕精品在线观看 | 日韩一区高清 | 黄色免费大片 | 一区二区精品 | 国产成人自拍在线 | a在线免费| 久久人人爽人人爽人人片av免费 | 国产成人久久精品77777综合 | 国产福利在线播放 | 艳母动漫在线观看 | 91精品国产成人 | 国产一区二区视频网站 | 天天操综合网 | 丁香婷婷综合网 | 四虎影院一区二区 | 国产成人在线精品 | 欧美精品啪啪 | 午夜毛片在线观看 | 久久五月婷| 亚洲精品二 |