Manila's mapping misadventure holds no water

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has reportedly denied that the Philippines is being more aggressive than other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in confronting China in the South China Sea. However, the country's actions tell a different story, with continuous provocations near China's Huangyan Island and Ren'ai Reef, alongside the release of a so-called new "maritime chart" last month.

The chart unilaterally includes China's Zhongye Island, Mahuan Island, and other features of the Nansha Islands.

This chart has no basis in international law. The Philippines' territorial boundaries are clearly defined by international treaties, including the 1898 Treaty of Paris and the 1900 Treaty of Washington, which set its western boundary at 118 degrees east longitude. These Chinese islands lie farther west of that line and are outside Philippine territory.

Over the past decades, Manila has illegally occupied some of China's islands and reefs and designated the so-called "Kalayaan Island Group" beyond its territorial scope. The release of the new "chart" is intended to legitimize its illegal claims. However, by merely drawing cartographic lines Manila cannot change the fact that these islands and reefs are Chinese territory.

The timing and disruptive nature of this move demand vigilance. Just a few months ago, China and the Philippines held a meeting on the South China Sea in Quanzhou, Fujian province, signaling a positive approach to managing differences through dialogue.

Moreover, consultations between China and ASEAN countries on a code of conduct in the South China Sea are progressing steadily. By introducing the so-called new "chart", the Philippines has added a destabilizing factor, undermined regional efforts to maintain peace and stability and damaged mutual trust among neighbors.

On March 26, Marcos signed an executive order unilaterally renaming 131 geographical features of China's Nansha Islands, mandating Philippine agencies and schools to use these new names. The Philippine mapping agency subsequently updated its maps. The new "chart" is a follow-up to that order, infringing on China's sovereignty.

There is a clear intent behind these renaming and mapping efforts: to legitimize illegal territorial claims through domestic legislation and administrative documents, creating a fait accompli.

In September, during the 58th joint working group meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea held in Manila, the Philippine Coast Guard hyped claims of its aircraft being "challenged" by China over Philippine "territory", while a defense official from the Philippines made reckless remarks at regional events.

It is a systematic attempt by Manila to introduce new levers, such as turning the South China Sea issue into a legal case and conducting a "mapping exercise", to collaborate with external forces and stir up trouble in the region.

History cannot be distorted at will. The Chinese have maintained a presence in the South China Sea for over 2,000 years. China was the first to discover, name, develop, and utilize the islands and their surrounding waters, exercising sustained, peaceful, and effective sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Documents such as the Genglubu, or Book of Seaways, a navigation guide from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, detail the routes Chinese fishermen took among the islands. Names such as Zhongye Island and Mahuan Island serve as historical testimony, passed down through generations of Chinese fishermen.

In the 1930s, France and later Japan forcibly occupied features in the South China Sea.

However, following its victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, China resumed sovereignty over these islands as per the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation.

From the very outset, Manila's claims have been based on falsehoods and speculation. In 1956, disregarding China's historical and legal presence, some individuals from the Philippines fabricated the discovery of "Freedomland" in the South China Sea. But the "discovery" was not recognized by the international community.

In 1978, Manila issued a presidential decree to incorporate China's islands and reefs into its municipality.

The latest "chart" is reminiscent of the manipulation behind the so-called South China Sea arbitration a decade ago — both are attempts to bypass bilateral negotiations and impose illegal claims on others.

As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun recently said, Zhongye Island and Mahuan Island are part of China's Nansha Islands and Chinese territory, affirming China's indisputable sovereignty over these islands and their adjacent waters.

The Philippines' actions are illegal and invalid. They seriously infringe on China's territorial sovereignty and violate the UN Charter and relevant international law.

A so-called "chart" cannot prove anything in the South China Sea, but it does highlight Manila's nefarious designs.

The final resolution of South China Sea disputes can only come if the parties concerned sit down to talk, not through unilateral actions such as drawing maps, renaming features or domestic legislation.

China will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea.

On Friday, China's Defense Ministry responded to recent Philippine provocations, vowing to take resolute and effective measures to deter any sabotage in the South China Sea and uphold regional peace and stability.

Simultaneously, the country remains committed to the "dual-track approach": resolving disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation among the involved parties, and collaborating with ASEAN members to maintain peace and stability.

The author is vice-dean of the Academy of Foreign-related Rule of Law at Jinan University, Guangdong province.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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