China Submits New Baselines to UN - Includes Senkaku Islands
In 1996, China submitted it’s baselines to the UN. They did not include the Spratley Islands, Taiwan or the Senkakus.
Four days ago (September 13th 2012) China resubmitted its baselines to the UN. They now include the Senkaku Islands.
This is an attempt by China to legally underscore it’s claim on the Senkaku Islands to counterbalance the Japanese claim currently being supported by a US-Japan mutual defence treaty. Not that the PRC ultimately really care about gaining legitimacy for their territorial claims from the UN - it is a tool with which to demonstrate legitimacy of claim.
This leaves Taiwan in a very strange position. If the Senkaku Islands are within the baseline, how soon before Taiwan is quietly added to the list? If President Ma of Taiwan is happy to see PRC vessels annex the Senkaku Islands from Japan despite his claim that their sovereignty belongs to the ROC version of China, would he also be happy to have the Spratley Islands and even Taiwanese waters patrolled by PRC fleets? If he maintains the illusion that Taiwan = a part of China and ROC = true China from ancient times, how can he justifiably argue against such a move? E.g:
Ma: Diaoyutais are part of China since ancient times. We are China so they belong to us.
Hu: Diaoyutais are part of China since ancient times. We are China so they belong to us. Taiwan claims Diaoyutais as part of China and Taiwan calls itself ‘an area of China’ so Taiwan belongs to us.
Ma:
Hu:
Ma: … but …
Hu: … But what? you said yourself that you are part of China. You said Taiwan is an area of China and your emissary agreed to ‘One Country, Two Areas’. If it is one country then we have the right to use the seas around Taiwan as our own.
Ma:
Hu: You had no objections to us protecting the sovereignty of the territory of China from the Japanese. In what way can you object now?
Ma:
Hu: Exactly.
USA and Japan: *facepalm*
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