China’s unbridled incursions into the West Philippine Sea and the disputed waters in the South China Sea may render the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) a dead letter treaty, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned on Wednesday. Speaking at a webinar on maritime security issues, Carpio warned that China’s disregard for the international agreement could eventually trigger a “naval arms race” as coastal nations would try to strengthen their own maritime security forces to protect their territories. He reiterated that countries should come together in protecting the “rules-based maritime order” as China continued to reject the Philippines’ arbitral court victory in 2016 that recognized its 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea and invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim over the area.

Ramos, M. (2021, April 15). China incursions may spark ‘naval arms race’ – Carpio. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.