UNCLOS Archives

Vietnam delivered when Philippines needed it most

Dec 15, 2014 8:07 AM

By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS IT means a lot to the Philippines that Vietnam submitted a Position Paper to the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations that is handling the complaint filed by the Philippines against China on the conflict in the South China Sea. Probably so as not to further antagonize China, with whom […]

China, UNCLOS, Vietnam

Editor's Pick News South China Sea: Waters of Contention Yahoo

Vietnam supports PH position: UN tribunal has jurisdiction on South China Sea dispute

Dec 13, 2014 2:31 AM

By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS The Philippine case against China’s nine-dash line before the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal gained support from Vietnam in a statement it submitted to the court in The Hague on Thursday. The Vietnam Foreign Ministry said the tribunal has jurisdiction to settle disputes concerning the interpretation of the U.N. Convention on […]

China, Philippines, South China Sea, UNCLOS, Vietnam

Editor's Pick South China Sea: Waters of Contention Yahoo

Rebutting China’s Claims

Dec 10, 2014 11:36 PM

By HARRY L. ROQUE TWO years after the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings against China under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, China belatedly published in the web site of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs its official Position Paper on the arbitration. The Chinese position was divided into three. First, that […]

China, ITLOS, UNCLOS

Editor's Pick News South China Sea: Waters of Contention Yahoo

China’s position paper shows wide gap with PH stand

Dec 10, 2014 10:57 PM

BY ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS THE Position Paper of China on the case filed by the Philippines with the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal showed the wide gap between the two countries as regards their conflicting claims on th South China Sea islands, reefs and rocks. The meeting between President Aquino and Chinese President Xi […]

China, ITLOS, UNCLOS

Editor's Pick News South China Sea: Waters of Contention Yahoo

China: UN tribunal has no jurisdiction on case filed by PH

Dec 08, 2014 1:09 AM

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS CHINA insisted Sunday that the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal has no jurisdiction on the complaint filed by the Philippines seeking to declare null and void the nine-dash line on China’s maps. China’s 27-page position paper, posted on the website of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came eight days before the Dec. […]

China, UNCLOS

Commentary South China Sea: Waters of Contention

Will China withdraw from UNCLOS if UN court decides in favor of PH?

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS | Dec 11, 2013 12:02 AM

THE possibility of China pulling out of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has been mentioned in informal discussions among foreign affairs experts and observers but it was the first time that a Chinese scholar said it in public. Shen Dingli, speaking to reporters after his speech in a forum “What […]

Shen Dingli, UNCLOS

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After China snub, what now?

Feb 03, 2013 3:44 AM

By ROMEL R. BAGARES JUST as pundits have predicted, China soon announced it is not taking part in the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines over the two countries’ territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea for the Chinese). So, what happens next – does this mean an abrupt end to the […]

9-dash line, Romel Bagares, UNCLOS

Editor's Pick South China Sea: Waters of Contention

PH questions China’s 9-dash line map before UN court

Jan 22, 2013 12:41 PM

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS

THE Philippine government decided Tuesday to ask the United Nations arbitration tribunal to declare as illegal China’s nine-dash line map that covers a large part of country’s territory in the South China Sea including the disputed Spratlys group of islands and Bajo de Masinloc.

arbitral proceedings, Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag shoal, Panatag standoff, Spratly Islands, UNCLOS

News South China Sea: Waters of Contention

Bajo de Masinloc crucial to China’s claim of whole South China Sea

By Ellen Tordesillas | Jan 21, 2013 4:53 PM

THE permanent stationing of three of its ships in Bajo de Masinloc is part of China’s “creeping invasion” of disputed territories in the South China Sea, a high-ranking Philippine government official said.

Bajo de Masinloc, China, South China Sea, UNCLOS

Editor's Pick News South China Sea: Waters of Contention

Chinese ‘occupation’ of Bajo de Masinloc could reduce PH territorial waters by 38 percent

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS | Jan 20, 2013 3:48 PM

(First of two parts) THE Philippines is at a loss over China’s declaration its ships will stay permanently in Bajo de Masinloc, a declaration some experts say could lead to the Philippines losing 38 percent of its territorial waters. Bajo de Masinloc, a triangular-shaped coral reef formation that has several rocks encircling a lagoon, is […]

Bajo de Masinloc, China, South China Sea, Spratly Islands, UNCLOS