(VOVworld) – The English edition of the Korean Times ran an article Wednesday entitled “U-shaped line is not China's baseline”. It quoted international regulations to prove that China’s sovereignty claim in the East Sea based on the U-shaped line is groundless and illegal.

This image from US navy video purportedly shows Chinese dredging vessels in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands. Photograph: Reuters

 
The article said: “China has never given any justification for the legality of the line under UNCLOS 1982, which was ratified by China. The U-shaped line is not determined by one of the three methods for determining a baseline outlined in UNCLOS 1982: normal baseline (article 5), straight baseline (article 7) and island baseline (article 47).” The author said none of the three methods can be applied to China's U-shaped line. So China’s sovereignty claim violates two fundamental principles: It is a violation of the territorial sovereignty of Vietnam and also a violation of the provisions of UNCLOS 1982 for determining a baseline.”

The article also introduces historical evidence proving that Vietnam has had indisputable sovereignty rights over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratley) archipelagos over the past 3 decades. Vietnam has continuously defended and exercised its sovereignty over the two archipelagos in line with international law.

Poland’s newspaper Rzeczpospolita ran an article criticizing China’s provocations in the East Sea. It said Gac Ma (Johnson) reef has become a hotspot in the East Sea which has drawn international attention. China’s construction and expansion to change the status quo of islands violates international law and underlines the interests of other countries in the region.

US Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson said on March 17 that the US has observed China’s activities around the Scarborough Shoal in the northern part of the Spratly archipelago, about 200km west of the Philippine base of Subic Bay.

At a recent meeting in Tokyo, East Timor President Taur Matan Ruak and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed their deep concerns about the East Sea situation. They said in a joint statement they oppose any unilateral act that changes the status quo and increases tension in the East Sea. This is the first time East Timor has commented on the East Sea issue.