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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 1 June 2022
Sea feud with China flares as Marcos prepares for presidency

By JIM GOMEZ lations of Philippine rights
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — in Second Thomas Shoal
The Philippine government and Reed Bank, which lie
announced Tuesday a new within Manila’s exclusive
diplomatic protest against economic zone but which
China over disputes in the China also claims, before
South China Sea, a long- taking further diplomatic
thorny issue that has flared action.
anew as the next Philippine The department said it sum-
president prepares to take moned a Chinese Embassy
office next month. official in Manila to protest
The Philippines has filed the “harassment by the
hundreds of diplomatic Chinese coast guard” of
protests against Beijing in research vessel R/V Leg-
recent years for what it end, which was undertak-
considers acts of aggres- ing a survey of undersea
sion in the disputed waters, fault lines along the Manila
despite improved ties be- Trench west of the northern
tween Beijing and Manila Philippines.
under outgoing President Philippine diplomats did
Rodrigo Duterte, whose six- not provide other details,
year term ends on June 30. but people involved in the
The territorial conflicts are scientific research told The
among the key challenges Associated Press last month
President-elect Ferdinand Chinese structures and buildings on the man-made Fiery Cross Reef at the disputed Spratlys group that a Chinese coast guard
of islands in the South China Sea are seen on March 20, 2022.
Marcos Jr. will face when Associated Press ship shadowed R/V Leg-
he takes office after his end, which was carrying
landslide electoral victory ban lasting three and a half exclusive economic zone. “annual practice of declar- five Filipino scientists and
on May 9. He has said he months that covers areas in China does not recognize ing a fishing ban over areas an unspecified number of
will use diplomatic means the disputed waters where the arbitration ruling and that extend far beyond Taiwanese counterparts,
with China over the issue, “the Philippines has sover- continues to defy it. China’s legitimate maritime from March 25 to 30.
the same approach ad- eignty, sovereign rights and The Chinese ban “has no entitlements,” it said. A Chinese coast guard
opted by Duterte, who jurisdiction.” It said the ban basis in law, and under- Separately, Philippine for- ship maneuvered about
has been criticized for not is not limited to Chinese mines the mutual trust, con- eign affairs officials said 2 to 3 nautical miles (3 to
taking a more aggressive fishing vessels and violates fidence, and respect that late Monday that the de- 5 kilometers) from the R/V
stance against Beijing’s in- the 1982 U.N. Convention should underpin bilateral partment summoned a Legend, causing concern
creasingly assertive actions on the Law of the Sea and relations,” the department Chinese diplomat in early among the scientists be-
in the resource-rich and a 2016 arbitration tribunal’s said in a statement. April to protest alleged ha- cause the research vessel
busy waterway. decision that invalidated “The Philippines calls on rassment by the Chinese was towing a long survey
The Department of Foreign Beijing’s vast historic claims China to comply with its coast guard of a research cable in the sea, said Carla
Affairs said Tuesday it filed in the strategic waterway obligations under interna- vessel in the South China Dimalanta of the National
a diplomatic protest over and upheld the Philippines’ tional law” and “cease and Sea. Institute of Geological Sci-
China’s imposition early this sovereign rights in a stretch desist from the conduct of They said they were re- ences at the University of
month of an annual fishing of coastal waters called its illegal actions,” including its viewing other recent vio- the Philippines.q

Japan court: Nuclear plant’s tsunami safeguards inadequate

dents at a time the govern- kushima in northeastern Ja- of international sanctions
ment is pushing for more pan in 2011, knocking out its against Moscow’s invasion
reactors to resume power cooling systems and caus- of Ukraine.
generation after pledging ing three reactors to melt About 1,200 people from
to ban imports of Russian and release large amounts the area of the Tomari
fossil fuels. of radiation. plant and elsewhere filed
The Sapporo District Court Many of Japan’s nuclear a lawsuit in late 2012 de-
ruled that Hokkaido Elec- power plants have been manding that it be decom-
tric Power Co. must not shut down since the disas- missioned because of in-
operate any of the three ter for safety checks and adequate earthquake and
reactors at its coastal To- upgrades. tsunami protections. In its
mari nuclear power plant The reactors at the Tomari ruling, the court dismissed
in northern Japan because plant have not operated that demand.
the inadequate tsunami since 2012. Chief Judge Tetsuya Tani-
protection could endanger The government has been guchi said Hokkaido Elec-
people’s lives. urging plants to resume tric failed to take steps to
The Tomari Nuclear Power Plant of Hokkaido Electric Power Co.,
is seen in Tomari village, Hokkaido prefecture, northern Japan, The utility said it will appeal operations to replace fos- address safety concerns
on Oct. 2, 2020. the ruling, which it called sil fuels and reduce global and demonstrate the ad-
Associated Press “regrettable and absolute- warming. It is now acceler- equacy of the plant’s ex-
ly unacceptable.” ating that push because of isting seawall, which was
By MARI YAMAGUCHI nuclear power plant be- A massive earthquake and fears of a power crunch fol- built after the Fukushima di-
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese cause of inadequate tsu- a tsunami over 15 meters lowing its pledge to phase saster but has since faced
court on Tuesday ordered nami safeguards, backing (49 feet) high hit another out imports of Russian coal, questions about its weak
a utility not to restart a the safety concerns of resi- nuclear power plant in Fu- liquefied gas and oil as part foundation.q