Indisputable sovereignty over Spratley Islands
BEIJING - China has claimed that it had indisputable sovereignty over the Spratley Islands in the South China Sea and asked Vietnam to rescind its "unilateral" move to invite global firms to explore oil and natural gas in the area.China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands (Spratley) and the surrounding sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said yesterday while reacting to reports that Petrovietnam has invited tenders for oil and gas exploration in some disputed areas in the South China Sea.
Zhang said Vietnam's move infringed upon China's sovereignty and oceanic rights and interests. "China hopes Vietnam will correct the mistake as soon as possible and not take any unilateral actions that would complicate or enlarge disputes," she said.Zhang also cautioned international oil companies against taking part in the process initiated by Hanoi. China hopes international oil companies will respect China's firm stance on this issue, and not do anything to harm China's sovereignty over its marine territory, she said.
The Spratleys, considered rich in oil and minerals are claimed entirely or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, The Philippines and Brunei. Chinese and Vietnamese Navies briefly clashed in the Spratlys in 1989. China, the largest claimant, has said the whole of the South China Sea has been a "Chinese lake" for centuries.
Though China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have signed a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the sensitive territorial dispute flares up sporadically between Beijing and Hanoi.
Press Trust of India - October 21, 2004
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