Thayer Consultancy

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Background Briefing: Vietnam: China Arrests 21 Vietnamese Fishermen Carlyle A. Thayer March 22, 2012

[clientnamedeleted] What do you think about China's recent activities in the South China Sea? China seemstobeaggressiveagainafteraquietyear? Answer: China's arrest of 21 Vietnamese fishermen exposes the inconsistency of China'slegalpositionregardingtheSouthChinaSea.Chinaclaimssovereignrightsin its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around the Paracels Islands yet challenges the Philippines' claim to sovereign rights in Recto (Reed) Bank within its EEZ. Under internationallawitcouldbearguedthatbothareasarelegallyindisputeandthatno party should take action to exploit the resources in their EEZ until the matter is resolved.InthecaseoftheVietnamesefishermen,Chinashouldrefrainfrommaking arrestsandimposingfinancialpenalties. The logic of the Paracel case screams out for joint cooperation to manage the fisheries and marine pollution in the waters around the Paracels. Both overfishing andpollutionaredepletingthefishstockonwhichbothnationsrely. ChinaannouncedtheimpositionofitsunilateralfishingbanintheSouthChinaSeain Januarythisyear,muchearlierthanpreviously.Lastyearitadoptedanewapproach by establishing a naval cordon in the waters around the Paracels and prevented Vietnamese fishing craft from entering. The recent arrest of the Vietnamese fishermenturnstheclockbacktotheyearsbeforelastyear. China'sstatementsthatitwillworkwithASEANstatestoimplementtheGuidelines ontheDeclarationofConductofParties(DOC)areunderminedbyitsactions.

Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123

Background Briefing: South China Sea: China Arrests More Vietnamese Fishermen Arrested Carlyle A. Thayer March 22, 2012

[clientnamedeleted] What is your assessment of the arrest of Vietnamese fishermen in waters off the Paracelislands? ANSWER:OnthefaceofitChinaisactingwithinitsrightsunderinternationallawto exerciseitssovereignrightsovertheresourcesinitsExclusiveEconomicZone(EEZ). This includes regulating and/or prohibiting foreign fishermen from fishing in these waters.Chinaisentitledtoapplyitsdomesticlaw. However,sinceVietnamclaimssovereigntyovertheParacelIslandsthatwereseized by force by China in January 1974, it could be argued under international law that sovereignrightsintheEEZsurroundingtheParacelIslandsareindispute. China is clearly maintaining an inconsistent position under international law. It claimssovereignrightsoverRecto(Reed)BankinthePhilippinesEEZ.International law specialists have argued recently that this puts the area in dispute and the Philippines should refrain from granting oil exploration licenses until the matter is resolved. With regard to the Paracels, China should refrain from exercising what it claimsareitssovereignrightsuntilthematterisresolved. TheproblemisthatChinahaslongrefusedtodiscusstheParacels,arguingineffect that possession is nine tenths ofthe law. In addition, this is the year of a power shiftinChinesepolitics.Variousagencieswithresponsibilityformaritimeaffairsare notorious for competing with each other and taking preemptive action to set the agenda. This makes it more difficult for central leaders to step back from strident nationalismorgivetheappearanceofconciliation. The arrest of twentyone Vietnamese fishermen indicates that China has resumed businessasusual.Thiscouldaffectthetenorofbilateralrelationspriortothestate visitbyPresidentTruongTanSangifChinadoesnotreleasethefishermen.