1 August 2012
BBC News Asia
China has overlapping claims with four Asean members in the South China Sea
The Philippines has summoned Cambodia's ambassador over comments linked to Manila's territorial row with Beijing.
Hos Sereythonh was asked to explain remarks accusing the
Philippines and Vietnam of playing "dirty politics" over the issue of
Asean and the South China Sea.
Mr Hos made the comments in a letter to the Philippine Star newspaper.
But he did not turn up on Tuesday, saying that he was sick, said foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez.
"We will continue to summon him until he is able to come," Mr Hernandez said.
China has overlapping claims with four Asean members in the South China Sea.
At a regular meeting hosted by Cambodia last month, the
10-nation bloc for the first time in its 45-year history failed to issue
a joint statement because of tensions over the maritime disputes.
In the published comments,
Mr Hos accused the Philippines and Vietnam of attempting to "sabotage
and hijack the joint communique" during the Asean meeting.
In his letter, Mr Hos said he was responding to an article written by an official of Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs on what happened at the Asean meeting.
The Philippines has accused Cambodia, a close ally of China, of blocking any mention of the South China Sea spat.
Exploration bids
Meanwhile on Tuesday the Philippine government received bids
for offshore oil and gas exploration in three areas off Palawan island
that are also claimed by China.
"All the areas we have offered are well within the 200
nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines under the
UNCLOS (United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas)," said Jose
Layug, an undersecretary in Manila's Department of Energy.
"Thus the Philippines exercises exclusive sovereign rights
and authority to explore and exploit resources within these areas to the
exclusion of other countries."
The bids would be evaluated and officials would award contracts within 100 days, he said.
China lays claim to a U-shaped swathe of the South China Sea,
overlapping areas claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei
and Malaysia.
There are thought to be significant oil and gas reserves below parts of the South China Sea subject to ownership disputes.
In recent years tensions over the issue have increased amid growing assertiveness from China over its maritime claims.
Ties between China and the Philippines are already strained
in the wake of a recent stand-off over another disputed area, the
Scarborough Shoal.
2 comments:
That actually belong to Kamuphea krom the U shape was belong to Khmer's empire look at the map,Yuon Hanoi has stolen from Kamuphea krom's nations=khmers empire.
Agreed, if anyone has the right to claim those reefs 200 NM ECZ, it's Cambodia if Viets had never stolen lower Cambodia. Now China claimed it, and China will takes all those reefs. I am glad that the Viets are now felt the same pains of what they done to us. For us we just sit back and watch Youn suffered under Mightier PRC. Finally someone take the pain to Youn. LOL
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