MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Thursday, August 31, criticized China for its “Standard Map” that depicted Philippine territory as within the Asian giant’s boundaries in the South China Sea.
The new map features a 10-dash line that encompasses the entire South China Sea, depicting the distance between China and the Philippines and a faint strip of water. The map also shows Indian territory, as well as disputed lands, as within China’s boundaries, prompting a protest from New Delhi. The additional dash in the map is located east of Taiwan – an attempt of China to assert its claim over the democratically-ruled island.
A 2016 Arbitral Award had invalidated China’s 9-dash line – now the 10-dash line – has already been deemed invalid following Manila’s challenge. Quoting the decision, the DFA said: “It categorically stated that ‘maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the ‘nine-dash line’ are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China’s maritime entitlements under the Convention.
China has refused to acknowledge the 2016 decision, despite the Philippines gaining support from key allies in the region and beyond. On the seventh anniversary of the ruling, allies such as the United States, Australia, India, Japan, France, and the European Union expressed their support for the ruling.