菲律賓就南海主權向中國抗議

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

フィリピン政府は、中国が南シナ海全域の領有を主張していることに抗議する文書を国連に提出し、フィリピンの石油探査船に艦艇が接近するなど中国がこの海域で活動を活発化させていることへの対抗姿勢を強めています。南シナ海を巡って中国はおととし、その全域の領有権を主張する文書を国連に提出し、東南アジア諸国が強く反発しています。この問題で、フィリピンの国連代表部が今月、中国に抗議する文書をパン・ギムン事務総長に提出していたことが１２日、明らかになりました。この中でフィリピンは、南シナ海の南沙諸島や周辺海域はフィリピンが領有しており、中国の主張には国際法上の根拠がないとしています。フィリピンは先月、南沙諸島付近で活動中の石油探査船に中国の艦艇２隻が接近して活動を妨害したとして中国政府に抗議しています。フィリピンは、ほかの東南アジア諸国と同様、中国の経済成長の恩恵を受けている側面もあり、去年、中国の民主活動家、劉暁波氏に決まったノーベル平和賞の授賞式を欠席するなど、対中関係に一定の配慮をしてきました。今回のフィリピン政府の対応は、ここに来て南シナ海で活動を活発化させる中国に対し、東南アジア諸国が対抗姿勢を強めていることを象徴するものとなりました。


(試譯文)


The Philippine government submitted a document to the United Nation to protest against China's insistence on owning of the whole area of the South China Sea, and strengthened an opposition posture to China towards its reviving of activities in this sea area, and its warships going near the oil exploration ships of the Philippines. Regarding the South China Sea, in the year before last, China submitted to the United Nation a document that insisted on having full right over the whole area, and Southeast Asian nations were objecting that strongly. On this problem, on the 12th it was known that the representatives of the Philippines at the UN had submitted a document to Ban Gimun the director general to protest against China this month. In it, the Philippines assumed that it owned Spratly Islands and the surrounding ocean area in the South China Sea, and that the insistence of China had no grounds, based on International Laws. The Philippines held that last month two warships from China had approached the oil exploration ships working in the vicinity of Spratly Islands; and the activity was obstructive and they protested against the Chinese government. The Philippines, as well as other Southeast Asian nations had indirectly received benefits due to China's the economic growth, and had paid constant consideration regarding their relationship with China, such as the absence last year from the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremony for the pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo in China etc.The present response of the Philippine government became a symbol of the strengthening of Southeast Asian nations in their opposition posture in reacting to China that had showed its presence and revitalized its activity in the South China Sea.


It seems that the good diplomatic mood between China and the Philippines was ended much earlier than many had expected.