China condemns US naval operations in South China Sea

World Today

The U.S. Defense Secretary, Ash Carter, confirmed Tuesday the U.S. has conducted naval operations inside a 12-mile zone near islands in the South China Sea claimed by China.

The move drew immediate condemnation from China. Beijing is accusing Washington of provocation, threatening Chinese sovereignty and taking sides in territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

CCTV’s Nathan King reports.


Historical documents record China’s sovereignty in South China Sea

Tensions in the South China Sea have intensified over maritime disputes, especially between China, the Philippines and Vietnam. China says it has indisputable sovereignty over islands there and the adjacent waters.

Historical evidence supports Chinese sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea.

Due to various reasons, such as the implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the pursuit for marine resources, and the increasing US pivot to Asia, the South China Sea disputes have developed from the original disputes over islands and surrounding waters, to a geopolitical contest of politics and interests, resource exploitation, and navigation control, involving both the claimant and non-claimant states, within this region and far beyond.

More details:

  • The ‘U shaped line’, or the ‘nine-dash line’, is a line of ownership of the features and historical waters. It indicates China’s claim of sovereignty over all the islands and reefs within the line, and China’s historical rights in fishing, navigation and exploitation in the South China Sea.
  • This Chinese map was drawn by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of China in 1946. The 8 dashes mark what’s known as China’s “traditional maritime boundary line”. And this text book published in 1936 marks the island groups within China’s domain.
  • China was the first country to discover and name these island groups. The history of continuous use and exercise of authority spans over 2,000 years.

CCTV’s Han Bin reports.