NPC debates draft law to protect the nation's islands
- Source: Global Times
- [07:42 June 23 2009]
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Win-win cooperation sought
Yang Mingjie, a senior academic from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times, “Legislation on island protection will not only define our island sovereignty, but also strengthen the management of island development.”
Yang said the law will further boost international cooperation by setting up clear demarcation of territory, and calling on the international community to avoid political speculation regarding territorial disputes in order to eliminate any potential misunderstandings among countries.
The document does not contain a declaration on island sovereignty because this was clarified by the Law on China’s Territorial Waters and Their Contiguous Areas, promulgated on February 25, 1992, argued Lü Caixia, a senior official from the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), in a recent news briefing.
“As a result, all the islands (in China) are to be subject to the new law,” she explained to reporters.
Tian Chengji, a PhD at the PLA National Defense University, called on China to form “coast guards” to enforce the comprehensive marine laws and protect sea rights. Other experts echoed Tian.
In recent years, the authorities and experts have long sought ways to protect the country’s islands. For example, the SOA, Ministry of Civil Affairs and the General Staff jointly launched in 2003 a regulation on the protection and proper use of uninhabited islands.
China is known as a maritime power, boasting more than 6,900 islands with areas of at least 500 square meters, according to official statistics.
Many countries have also increased legislative efforts on island protection. Neighboring countries, such as South Korea and Japan, have already enacted legislation to protect islands,
The US, Canada, Australia and other countries have also already formulated regulations on protecting islands.
Zhang Han and An Baijie contributed to this story