BREAKING:
China Coast Guard vessels are again violating the Philippines’ territorial sea near Pag-asa Island by loitering just off the coast.
The island is home to 450 Filipinos and part of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan.
The Philippine mainland is 500 km away while the Chinese mainland is 900 km away.
The UN had the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issue a verdict on the case in 2016 based on UNCLOS (United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Sea).
The tribunal ruled unanimously in favor of the Philippines on almost all its claims, concluding that China's "nine-dash line" geographic claim had no legal basis under international law.
The court affirmed that Pag-asa Island naturally possesses a 12-mile zone under automatic UNCLOS international law, and because the Philippines has continuous sovereignty and physical control over the land, that zone belongs to Manila.
Naval and coastguard vessels are forbidden by international law from loitering in the 12-mile zone of a territorial sea.
By doing so, they are actively violating the strict rules of Innocent Passage outlined in UNCLOS Articles 17–19.
China Coast Guard vessels are only legally allowed to enter the 12-mile zone if they are traveling “continuously and expeditiously” from Point A to Point B.
They must keep a steady speed, maintain a straight course and leave the zone as quickly as possible.
Instead, China keeps breaking against UNCLOS off the island as an intimidation campaign against the Philippines.
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