Carpio: China still after Philippines’ exclusive economic zone
Credit to Author: ggaviola| Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2019 08:22:39 +0000
MANILA, Philippines – “China is still after our exclusive economic zone.”
Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio issued this warning on Thursday, noting that China’s seemingly slow march towards the contested areas of West Philippine Sea is “just temporary.”
“The intention of China is very clear. They want to control the West Philippine Sea,” Carpio said during a Foreign Correspondent Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum in Makati City.
Carpio, who was a member of the Philippine panel who won Manila’s arbitration case against China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea in 2016, claimed that the Philippines must bear in mind that China’s intention from the very beginning was to “grab our EEZ.”
“They may slow down for a while but they will continue to march towards that objective,” Carpio said.
“There may be hiccups but those are just temporary. China is still after our EEZ,” he added.
Carpio also said that the Chinese government is teaching its people “false narratives” about the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Carpio: China teaches ‘false’ West Philippine Sea narratives to its students
During the Aquino administration, the government won its maritime dispute before the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The tribunal cited the exclusive economic zones provided for in the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas (Unclos) which goes against the so called nine-dash claim of China.
China, however, refused to acknowledge the ruling.
The Duterte administration, meanwhile, has also maintained a soft stance on the issue and even pushed for a joint maritime exploration with Beijing. /gsg