ASEAN asks China to clarify its sea map<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The seven members of the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) said yesterday that they consider China's
\ndeclaration on the enlargement of its sea boundaries by 2.5
\nmillion square kilometers as inconclusive and yet to be
\nclarified.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN has asked China about the issue and China has said that
\nits experts on sea boundaries will discuss the issue further with
\neach of the ASEAN members,\" Izhar Ibrahim, the director general
\nof political affairs of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Izhar said that ASEAN believed China's new sea boundaries may
\nvery well overlap with those of some of the Association's member
\ncountries unless the Beijing government clearly defines the basis
\non which it drew up the boundaries.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said last
\nweek that Jakarta had sent China an \"aide memoire\", asking
\nBeijing to explain its new baselines.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and other world leaders have warned that the South
\nChina Sea issue is potentially explosive and must be properly
\nmanaged.<\/p>\n
During a dialog session with his Chinese counterpart, Qian
\nQichen, Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmad Badawi also
\ntouched on the issue, saying that ASEAN hoped to receive some
\nclarification from the Beijing government regarding the issue.<\/p>\n
China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam have all
\nclaimed wholly or in part the group of islands known as the
\nSpratlys. Located in the South China Sea, the Spratlys are
\nbelieved to have plentiful oil and gas reserves.<\/p>\n
China announced in May that it had accepted the United Nations
\nConvention on the Law of the Sea as the basis for settling the
\nclaims. At the same time however Beijing also announced new
\nbaselines for its sea territory.<\/p>\n
\"China's declaration of 15th May 1996 on its baselines has
\nraised some questions within ASEAN. We hope to receive some
\nclarification from China on this declaration and what it means,\"
\nBadawi said in a statement yesterday.<\/p>\n
Badawi was ASEAN's representative in the dialog with China,
\none of a series of dialogs it holds with several Western
\ncountries and Asian powers in the wake of its annual ministerial
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Under the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, a country's
\nsovereignty over its sea territory is up to 12 miles from its
\nshores. Beyond the 12-mile stretch is the 200-mile exclusive
\neconomic zone of the country which it can explore and exploit.<\/p>\n
The zone, however, is free international waters.<\/p>\n
China, responding vaguely to the questions raised by ASEAN.
\nsuggested yesterday that the issue of the baselines will be
\ndiscussed further by its experts and those of the ASEAN members.
\n(ego)<\/p>",
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