Taiwan coast guard minister Syu Huei-You met with AIT director June 3 to request USG assistance over recent suspected PRC incursions around the disputed Pratas island. Syu noting that PRC exploration in the disputed East China Sea has effectively marginalized Taiwan's ability to enforce its EEZ claims there. The Director registered concern over the lack of prior U.S.-Taiwan coordination over the incident, and offered to establish a more regular system for sharing information on activities in the region.
Read more...The underlying controversy over the Spratlys strikes a chord in Philippine national pride, both because of the awareness that the Philippine armed forces cannot defend the Philippines' claim to the islands, and because of concern over growing Chinese influence in the region. In addition, there is widespread suspicion that corruption may influence Philippine policy.
Read more...The Philippine Senate and House recently agreed to exclude the disputed Spratly Islands from the country's baselines, defining them instead under the terms of the UN Convention on Law of the Sea as a "regime of islands" -- although still subject to Philippine claims.
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