During President Ferdinand Marcos’ State Visit to China in 1975 to establish diplomatic relations, among China’s leaders he met was First Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping. During this meeting, Marcos raised the issue of the Spratlys but Deng said that this issue should be left to future generations to discuss.

China lays claim to all of the waters, all of the seabed, and all of the maritime features within the so-called “nine dash line” which covers the Paracel and Spratly Islands and almost the whole of the South China Sea. On 7 May 2009, China submitted a map to the UN officially depicting the “nine dash line”, provoking immediate diplomatic protests from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia for violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Indonesia also protested even though Indonesia has no claims in the South China Sea.

Read more: http://manilatimes.net/hegemony-vs-cooperation-in-enclosed-seas/74007/