sparkly islands land reclamation project

Comments 2

中国和蓝海

Sep 8, 2015 James Borton , Nguyen Chu Hoi

胡志明市——2013年12月以来，中国已增加了1，200多公顷的南海岛屿属地。上述土地开垦工作的地缘政治影响都有完整的记录：大部分活动发生在南沙群岛，即越南、马来西亚和菲律宾之间的多岛海区，上述国家——再加上中国、台湾和文莱——都对该地区提出了竞争性主权要求。

该项目近乎灾难性的环境影响极少引发关注。中国的活动正在危及鱼类种群、威胁海洋生物多样性，并对世界最壮观的海洋生物构成长期威胁。

中国领导人急于对该地区宣誓主权摧毁并埋葬了成千上万的珊瑚礁、海草床和其他浅水生态系统。土地开垦项目正在破坏南沙群岛和南中国海之间的生态联系，掐断这些生态系统赖以存在的营养物质供应。

We hope you're enjoying Project Syndicate.

To continue reading, subscribe now.

Get unlimited access to PS premium content, including in-depth commentaries, book reviews, exclusive interviews, On Point, the Big Picture, the PS Archive, and our annual year-ahead magazine.

Already have an account or want to create one? Log in

James Borton

Writing for PS since 2015
1 Commentary

James Borton is a non-resident fellow at the Saigon Center for International Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyen Chu Hoi is Professor of Marine Science and Governance Policy at Vietnam National University, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Marine Environment and Nature, and former Deputy Administrator of the Vietnam Administration for Seas and Islands.

new comment has been posted. new comments have been posted.

0 Comments on this paragraph, 2 in all 2 Comments on this article

Roberto Murillo Dec 29, 2015

I have read several articles regarding the Spratly Islands or "Reefs" and no one considers that in fact it is a chain of reefs which extends all the way to China's coastal line; therefore, the so called Spratly Islands is an extension of China coastal line and considering the EEz (The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which came into effect in the early 1980s, established the concept of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) that extended 200 nautical miles (370 km) from a country’s coast), China has the right to those Reefs. The other countries which claim those Reefs are further than 200 nautical miles, even Palawan, and as such they have no right to claim those Reefs. Considering the Ecological point of view, Tankers or Military Ships should not be allowed in that region. As far as the fauna and fishery is concerned, there are lots of countries which have depleted sharks and wales (Japan and Sweden for instance) from the sea waters; therefore, if we want to use Ecology of the sea as an argument, it must be applied universally and not single out China. By International Law (EEZ), China has the right to those Reefs>
A new reply to this comment has been posted.
Rui Ruan Sep 10, 2015

Chine owns entire sovereignty of the South China Sea, so China has the responsibility to protect the environment there.
A new reply to this comment has been posted.