China should ratify sea law convention<\/p>\n
The status of the Natuna Islands has been cleared up, with
\nForeign Minister Cin Qian Qichen's assurance to Foreign Minister
\nAli Alatas that the oil-rich islands belong to the Republic of
\nIndonesia. Foreign Minister Qian, as quoted by Foreign Minister
\nAli Alatas on his return home from Beijing last Friday, said that
\nChina had never laid claim to the Natuna Islands.<\/p>\n
In the case of Natuna, China displayed a new attitude with
\nForeign Minister Qian's assurance that China was willing to
\nsettle its border disputes on the basis of prevailing
\ninternational laws, including the 1982 UN-sponsored Convention on
\nthe Law of the Sea. If China and Indonesia agree to settle the
\nNatuna issue on the basis of this convention, which recognizes an
\nExclusive Economic Zone 200 sea miles wide, then obviously the
\nNatuna Islands belong to us.<\/p>\n
In February 1992, the Chinese government issued an important
\ndocument, the Law of the People's Republic of China on the
\nTerritorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to uphold their claims
\non zones in the South China Sea on the basis of historical
\narguments. We understand that, in its wider implications, this
\nlaw holds the important political message that China will not
\ndeviate from its stance to recapture its lost South China Sea
\nterritories.<\/p>\n
New hope dawned with the assurance given by Foreign Minister
\nQian to Foreign Minister Ali Alatas that although the Chinese
\ngovernment remained bound by the February 1992 law, China would
\nbe willing to negotiate settlements to its disputes in a peaceful
\nmanner and on the basis of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of
\nthe Sea. We hope China will soon ratify this convention in order
\nthat the status of the zone surrounding the Natuna Islands will
\nnot become a stumbling block in our relations with China.<\/p>\n
-- Kompas, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-should-ratify-sea-law-convention-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }