Beijing Pushes the Diplomatic Envelop on South China Sea Dispute

Territorial claims over the South China Sea took an interesting turn last week.  

According to a report from Reuters, China’s new passports have raised the eyebrows of several
South China Sea claimants: the country’s microchip-equipped passports contain a
map of China’s claim over the South China Sea – represented by the country’s
disputed nine-dash line.

The Philippines and Vietnam have condemned the Chinese
passports, worrying that accepting the documents could legitimize China’s
diplomatic claim over the sea. According to Reuters,
“The
map means countries disputing the Chinese claims will have to stamp
microchip-equipped passports of countless visitors, in effect acquiescing to
the Chinese point of view.”                              

“The
Philippines strongly protests the inclusion of the nine-dash lines in the
e-passport as such image covers an area that is clearly part of the
Philippines’ territory and maritime domain,” Philippine Foreign
Secretary Albert del Rosario said last week, according to Reuters.

China’s Foreign Ministry responded to questions about the passports,
stating, “The
passports’ maps with their outlines of China are not targeting a specific
country. China is willing to actively communicate with the relevant countries
and promote the healthy development of Sino-foreign personnel exchanges.”

read more

www.cnas.org