June 15 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Chinese Coast Guard announced this Saturday the entry into force of new regulations that enable the agency to detain foreigners in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, the scene of an uptick in tension with the Philippines for months.
The so-called Order Number 3 stipulates that “foreign ships that have illegally entered Chinese territorial waters and adjacent waters may be detained in accordance with the law” and sets a maximum period of detention of up to 60 days “if the nationality and identity ( of those detained) are not clear” or for “complicated cases,” according to the Coast Guard on its website.
The entry into force of this law coincides with the official presentation made by the Philippines before a United Nations commission of its power over a part of the continental shelf of the South China Sea in a new episode of its long dispute with Beijing over resources. of the area.
China claims most of the waters in the area, considering that they are part of its territory as they appear within the so-called “nine-dot line” that appears on the maps of the Asian giant – a line drawn by the Chinese Government that claims the South China Sea, including the Paracels and Spratly Islands, as its own.
Relations between China and the Philippines have been under increasing tension in recent months. Manila has accused Beijing of hindering its troop desupply missions within what it considers its exclusive economic zone, while China insists that Philippine ships transit these waters illegally.
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