Philippine map on disputed waters to be given more credence: maritime expert

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MANILA — A possible map on the disputed South China Sea issued by the Philippines would be given more credence by the international community compared to a sweeping new Chinese map released recently, a maritime expert said Friday.

"In our case, if we issue a map, it is not going to be only self-serving, but rather it is actually going to be supported by the South China Sea arbitration. It is going to be supported by the international law," maritime expert Jay Batongbacal told ANC’s "Headstart."

"So in that sense, it will have a much greater credibility and power than this self-serving Chinese map because we would simply be implementing an established judgment by an authoritative international tribunal," he said.

The Philippines on Thursday filed a diplomatic protest against the new map that showed China's extended territorial claims, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.

The map featured a 10-dashed line, which was previously a nine-dashed line, that supposedly shows China's boundaries in the waterway, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Batongbacal said that the new China map "doesn't necessarily bind other countries" because "everyone knows already by now that China has this excessive, expansive claim that is contrary to international law."

"This latest move will now be seen as just another self-serving action to assert its claim," he added.

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China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea — through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually — despite an international court ruling that Beijing's entitlement has no legal basis.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei also have overlapping claims in parts of the sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the map was "a routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law."

"We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, and refrain from over-interpreting the issue," he said in a briefing.

• Philippines protests new Chinese map over West PH Sea claims