2015年CRI Expert: China-ROK Maritime Talks Long Way to Go

 

The meeting, scheduled for next Tuesday in Seoul, will be co-chaired by the Chinese Vice¹ Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and his ROK counterpart Cho Tae-yul.

China says it hopes the talks will set an example for regional countries to solve similar issues.

Chinese Foreign Ministry² spokesman Hong Lei.

"China hopes that the two countries will resolve the overlapping⁴ claims fairly and reasonably through friendly consultations⁵ and set a good example for the region's countries in resolving similar issues."

The exclusive economic zones of China and South Korea overlap³ in the Yellow Sea.

Both sides agreed to start demarcation talks when President Xi Jinping visited South Korea last year.

While many think that improved China-South Korea relations have smoothed the way for negotiations⁶, military observer Yin Zhuo argues there is still a long way to go before an agreement is reached.

"The two sides still remain divided on which principle applies to the demarcation in the sea area. South Korea advocates a median line drawn⁷ equidistant from the coastline of the two states, while China thinks the problem should be settled based on the extension of the continental⁸ shelf."

China says the continental shelf in the Yellow Sea shares the same geological characteristics as its territorial⁹ continent, so should be regarded as the natural extension of the land territory, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

As the seabed between the two sides slopes downwards¹⁰ from China to South Korea, many believe China will gain a larger area than South Korea if the continental shelf principle is adopted.

But Yin Zhuo suggests there are other more urgent matters for the Korean side to address.

"The Korean side advocates the median-line principle in talks with China, but when it addresses maritime¹¹ disputes with Japan, it resorts to the continental shelf principle. This doesn't conform to international law."

The demarcation issue has been brought up regularly at bilateral¹² meetings between China and South Korea, but asyet no settlement has been reached.

The ambiguous maritime border has resulted in a series of issues, including repeated clashes between Chinese fishermen and the ROK Coast Guard in the disputed area.

Yin Zhuo suggested both sides should take measures to prevent the issue hampering¹³ the development of the bilateral relations.

"China and South Korea share broad common ground when it comes to North Korean issues, the stability in East Asia and historical disputes. Both governments should prevent it from whipping up contradictory¹⁴ feelings between the two peoples."

Another focus of maritime disputes between the two is a reef in the East China Sea, called Suyan Reef by the Chinese and Ieodo by Koreans.

Both sides agree the reef is not a 'territory' dispute, as it remains¹⁵ submerged even at low tide.

China ensured its 2013 air defense¹⁶ identification zone in the East China Sea extends over it.

In response, South Korea has expanded its own ADIZ to cover the reef.

For CRI, this is Tu Yun.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 overlap   

v.重叠，与…交叠；n.重叠

参考例句：

• The overlap between the jacket and the trousers is not good.夹克和裤子重叠的部分不好看。
• Tiles overlap each other.屋瓦相互叠盖。

4 overlapping   

adj./n.交迭（的）

参考例句：

• There is no overlapping question between the two courses. 这两门课程之间不存在重叠的问题。
• A trimetrogon strip is composed of three rows of overlapping. 三镜头摄影航线为三排重迭的象片所组成。

5 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

9 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

10 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

11 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

12 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

13 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

14 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

15 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

16 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。