【VOA 20150328】中国改造岛礁地貌 挑战菲律宾法律诉求
China is forging ahead with reclamation projects on at least seven tiny but hotly contested features in the South China Sea, posing what could be a major challenge in the Philippines' international arbitration case against China. Surveys of the disputed outcroppings will be key.中国继续在南海至少七座面积极小但争端激烈的岛屿展开填海造地工程，这可能对菲律宾针对中国提出的国际仲裁案构成重大挑战。对有争议岛礁的勘测将是问题关键。改造现状
Since the beginning of the year, various satellite images of Chinese reclamation work in the Spratly Islands have shown shoals and reefs turning into artificial islands. Major harbors that can dock military ships are nearly completed. So are several airstrips and at least three multistory buildings where bare outposts once stood.自从今年年初以来，各种卫星图像显示，中国在斯普拉特利群岛（中国称南沙群岛）展开的填海造地工程已经把浅滩和礁石变成了人造岛屿。可以停靠军用舰船的主要港口也接近完成。还有几座简易机场和至少三座多层建筑出现在曾经光秃秃的岛礁上。
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said at a forum in Manila Thursday his government has protested what he calls “the massive reclamation activities” of China.菲律宾外长罗萨里奥3月26日在马尼拉的一次论坛上说，菲律宾政府就他所说的中国“大规模填海造地活动”提出了抗议。
“The alteration of these features plainly intended to change the character, status and maritime entitlements of the said features, which prejudice the arbitration and undermine work of the arbitral tribunal to hear and objectively decide the case,” said del Rosario.他说：“改变这些地形的目的就是要改变上述地形的特点、状况和海事权利，这损害了仲裁，破坏了仲裁法庭听取和客观裁决案情的工作。”
In January 2013, the Philippines filed a case with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea seeking affirmation on features it is contesting with China based on definitions of international law. Just about every single feature included in the filing now has Chinese reclamation work in progress. The case also questions what Manila calls Beijing’s “excessive claims” in the South China Sea.China opted out of arbitration in certain cases when it signed on to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and it rejects the filing.2013年1月，菲律宾向国际海洋法法庭提出仲裁案，要求法庭依据国际法的定义，在菲律宾与中国就有关地形的争议中，认可菲方的立场。仲裁案涉及的地形，几乎每一个都处在中国的填海造地工程中。这起案件还对中国对南海的主权要求提出质疑，菲方称这是“过度声索”。中国在签署联合国海洋法公约时就宣布在某些情况下中国将不参与仲裁。对这起仲裁案，中国拒绝接受。
China has said it has “indisputable sovereignty” over practically the entire sea.Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the resource-rich sea.中国对几乎整个海域的所有岛屿都提出拥有“不可争辩的主权”。文莱、马来西亚、台湾和越南也对这处资源丰富的海域提出了主权要求。
地形勘测
The Philippine argues that certain features China took over are “low tide elevations,” meaning at high tide they are completely submerged. It says these are far from China’s territorial sea, which makes them either part of another state’s continental shelf or part of the international seabed. The Philippines also deems four reefs “rocks,” saying even if they are above sea level at high tide, they are uninhabitable “and incapable of supporting economic life in their natural state.”菲律宾争辩说，中国占领的某些地形是“低潮高地”，也就是说，在涨潮时，它们完全浸没在水下。菲律宾说，这些地形远离中国领海，或者属于别国的大陆架，或者属于国际公海的海床。菲律宾还把四处岛礁视为“岩石”，称即使它们在涨潮时冒出水面，也是无法居住的，“在其自然状态下无法支撑经济生活”。
When features are disputed, international law does not recognize their altered states. But there has to be proof of what they were before they were changed. 当某地形处在纠纷状态时，国际法不承认这处地形被改变后的状态。不过，必须要有证据证明改变之前的样子。
Gregory Poling, who specializes in the disputes in the South China Sea at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said such cases are rare and in the only other case he could recall, the international court’s standards were tough.华盛顿战略与国际研究中心研究南海纠纷的专家格雷戈里·波林说，这类案件很少见，他记得在唯一的另一起案例中，国际法庭的标准非常严格。
“They needed on the ground surveys, at not just high tide, but the highest tide of the year. It was a much higher bar than say, a few flyovers for satellite imagery,” said Poling.他说：“他们需要进行实地勘测，不仅要在涨潮时，而且要在一年中潮水最高的时候，标准远远高于卫星飞过时拍摄的几张照片。”
University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs director Jay Batongbacal said that until 2010, the Philippines had solid surveys of the features it claims in the Spratlys.菲律宾大学海洋及海洋事务研究所负责人杰·拜顿巴克尔说，2010年菲律宾才对它声称拥有主权的斯普拉特里群岛的地形进行真正的勘测。
“However, if for example the tribunal were to say, well, they don’t think that the evidence presented is good enough and they would ask for newer, better surveys, then clearly it would be impossible,” said Batongbacal.他说：“可是，如果国际法庭说，他们认为菲律宾出示的证据不够，他们可以要求进行更新更好的勘测，那么这种要求显然是达不到的。”
Also, Batongbacal said, the features that could be surveyed are too close to Chinese and Vietnamese positions. He and Poling say timing of the surveys is important because they need to have been done before reclamation work started.拜顿巴克尔说，可以勘测的地形有可能太接近中国和越南控制的地点，他和波林还表示，勘测的时间也很重要，因为他们必须要在填海工程开始前完成。
历史角度
Henry Bensurto, a San Francisco-stationed consul general who heads the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department’s legal team on the arbitration case, said the Philippines is strengthening its case through a “holistic approach.” 菲律宾驻旧金山总领事亨利·本索托说，菲律宾从“历史角度”来加强他们在本案中的法理依据。
He said the Philippines has submitted flight surveillance imagery of the islands, low-tide elevations, and rocks as well as their anthropological and historic background.本索托是国际仲裁法庭上菲律宾外交部法律小组的负责人。他说，菲律宾已经提交了这些岛屿、低潮高地和岩石的航拍图以及它们的人类学和历史学背景。
“Because this is important to have a better appreciation of the features not in just one instance of history but over a period of time. Because that’s very important also, especially if you’re going to define island as capable of sustaining human habitation,” said Bensurto.他说：“因为重要的是，最好不只是从一次历史实例，而是从一段时间来评估某处地形。这点非常重要，特别是如果你确定一个岛屿可以支撑人类居住。”
司法辖权
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has yet to determine whether it has jurisdiction over the case. Beijing says it does not because Manila’s filing is essentially about maritime borders and delimitations, which the court cannot rule on.海牙常设仲裁法庭还没有确定是否对这个案子有管辖权。北京表示，这个法庭没有管辖权，因为马尼拉的申诉实际上涉及到海上边界及其划分，对此这个法庭没有裁决权。
Manila is confident the Court has jurisdiction and it expects a ruling on both jurisdiction and the merits of its claim by early next year. 马尼拉则说，相信海牙法庭有权审理，并预计法庭明年早些时候会对管辖权和菲方的主张是否有效作出裁决。
Poling thinks the Court will likely make a determination only on the sweeping claim argument and leave the question of the features alone because “it gets too close to the delimitation issue.”波林说，海牙法庭可能只会对大范围的权利要求作出裁决，不会触及具体地形，因为这“太接近划界问题”。
网友评：
China is a superdragon country in the world. We Filipinos have no match against this giant economy. US and UK will not help us because China is the greatest market of all nations. 中国是世界上的巨龙。我们菲律宾人无法与这条巨龙相比。英美也不会帮我们，因为中国世界上最大的市场。
Well said. US gets a lot of money from China and British government needs to be friendly with them due to the reality that Chinese are the main tourist visitors and shoppers in London. No one can help us. 说得好。美国大把挣中国的钱，英国政府也因为中国巨大的游客访问量而对中国友好。没人能帮菲律宾。
If Russia will stop from meddling to Ukraine's political affair and boost its economy so that it will hamper the progress of China. Only Russia can defeat China in terms of economy.如果俄罗斯停止插手乌克兰的政务，认真发展经济，才能阻止中国的发展。在经济上来说，只有俄罗斯能打败中国。
页:
[1]