China Begins Construction in SpratlyIslands

[abhi_the _gr8_maratha]

China has begun a
construction project in the disputed
Spratly Islands, drawing a formal
protest from the Philippines, which
said the move violates a longstanding
pledge not to build on any of the South
China Sea's contested islands.
The project is the latest example of
Beijing's increasingly assertive
behavior in the South China Sea
, a week after it boldly deployed a large
oil rig, guarded by a flotilla of ships, to
disputed waters east of Vietnam.
That action sparked anti-Chinese
protests and violence against factories
in Vietnam, and prompted U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry to
criticize Beijing's "aggressive" and
"provocative" moves.
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read full story here ---------->
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China Begins Construction in Spratly Islands - WSJ.com

 

[Compersion]

Land reclamation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_island

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty (UNCLOS), artificial islands are not considered harbor works (Article 11) and are under the jurisdiction of the nearest coastal state if within 200 nautical miles (370 km) (Article 56).[4] Artificial islands are not considered islands for purposes of having their own territorial waters or exclusive economic zones, and only the coastal state may authorize their construction (Article 60); however, on the high seas beyond national jurisdiction, any "state" may construct artificial islands (Article 87).