THOMAS
SHOAL – GEOGRAPHY
News: Philippines calls on China to remove
illegal structures, cease reclamations in South China Sea
What's
in the news?
●
The Philippines' Foreign Ministry called
on China to remove illegal structures, cease reclamations and be accountable
for environmental damage in the South China Sea.
●
The Department of Foreign Affairs said
resupply missions to the Second Thomas Shoal located within the Philippines'
exclusive economic zone are legitimate activities and it will not give prior
notification to China.
Thomas
Shoal:
●
It is located in the north-eastern part of the Spratly Islands, and has emerged as a
contentious area in the South China Sea.
●
The recent incident near Second Thomas
Shoal escalated tensions between China
and the Philippines.
Key
takeaways:
●
The Philippine Coast Guard accused China’s
coast guard of harassment and dangerous maneuvers. China, on the other hand,
claims that the Philippine coast guard intruded into its waters without
permission.
●
This ongoing diplomatic standoff
underscores the complex nature of territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
China’s
Claims and the “Nine-Dash Line”:
●
China claims sovereignty over nearly the
entire South China Sea through its depiction of the “nine-dash line” on its
maps.
●
This line extends into the exclusive
economic zones of neighboring countries.
●
However, the Permanent Court of
Arbitration in 2016 declared that China’s “nine-dash line” claim has no legal
basis, challenging China’s expansive territorial assertions.