Vietnam and the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea

This article portrays and characterizes the Vietnamese position toward the settlement of the island disputes in the South China Sea. The situation in the South China Sea has become more complicated since 1988 when China made its steps toward the Spratlys. After analyzing the situation in the South China Sea, the author emphasizes the need to have a code of conduct for this disputed area.     

The Impact of the Law of the Sea Convention on Conflict and Conflict Management in the South China Sea

This article examines the impact of the UN Law of the Sea Convention on conflict behavior and management in the South China Sea during four periods: during its negotiation (1973–1982); from its signing to the entry into force (1982–1994); from then until the China-ASEAN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (1995–2002); and from the setting of a timeline for outer limits of continental shelf submissions to the events following the 2009 submissions (2003–2013). Ambiguous effects were found. On the one hand, the Convention has generated or exacerbated conflict by raising the stakes, failing to resolve key legal issues, and encouraging overlapping zone claims. On the other hand, it has provided obligations, language, and techniques for conflict management and resolution. The conflict-enhancing impact was found to have been more substantial than the peace-promoting effects. Nevertheless, the balance has shifted toward more emphasis on conflict management and also some utilization of the Convention's peacemaking potential. If this long-term trend continues and the Convention is more rigorously respected and applied, the Convention may in the end be found to have contributed to regional peace.     

Some problems concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the republic of china (Taiwan) and the Philippines

Abstract

This paper analyzes the issue of how the relevant provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea can be applied to the delimitation of the maritime boundary in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippine island of Luzon and in the South China Sea area. It concludes that the Philippines’ extensive territorial sea claim based on the 1898 U.S.‐Spanish Peace Treaty can hardly find any basis in customary rules of international law and the U.N. Convention and, therefore, should be disregarded in such delimitation. On the other hand, the archipelagic principle provided in the Convention can be applied here. With respect to rules of delimitation, it suggests that the equitable principle of the delimitation of the continental shelf, enunciated in the Anglo‐French Continental Shelf Arbitration (1977) and the Tunisian‐Libyan Continental Shelf Case (1982), can mutatis mutandis be applied to the delimitation of the maritime boundary. As an interim solution, the maritime boundary of certain disputed islands in the South China Sea should be declared neutral zones open to nationals of both countries.     

Regional Cooperation in the South China Sea: Analysis of Existing Practices and Prospects

This article identifies potential areas of cooperation in the South China Sea, particularly on ocean-related matters. Several regional mechanisms related to marine and coastal environments have been established and, to an extent, have achieved their goals. Nevertheless, some improvements to existing mechanisms are highly desirable. Recommended is a regional mechanism that involves all bordering parties; limits its geographic scope to the South China Sea; is initiated and operates without the assistance of global organizations; is embodied in a legally binding instrument; and broadens the scope of cooperation to include marine living resources, maritime safety, and maritime security.     

The South China sea: From conflict to cooperation?

This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest developments with respect to the Spratly Islands disputes in the South China Sea. By studying the national policies behind the evolution of these events it examines in particular some of their implications on regional relations and the future of the South China Sea, with special emphasis on China's policy toward the issue.     

A statement on ethics from the HEART Group

Over the past several years, the editors of leading international cardiovascular journals have met to form the HEART Group and to discuss areas of growing, common interest. Recently, the HEART Group has developed a document that addresses general ethical principles in the conduct of the scientific process with which all of the editors concur. Published essentially simultaneously in all of the participating journals, including this journal, this document presents the ethical tenets accepted by all of the undersigned editors that will (continue to) guide their decisions in the editorial process.     

Setting Up International (Adversary) Regimes in the South China Sea: Analyzing the Obstacles from a Chinese Perspective

If the sovereignty issue can be shelved, solved, or resolved, the six claimant states of the South China Sea will have to establish a series of international regimes. The following questions need to be answered: Do all the claimants understand the concept of international regimes? Would the regimes be imposed? Would there be hegemon(s) in the South China Sea? If so, which country or multiple entities will be involved? What would be the outcome of having international regimes in the South China Sea? Can the experience elsewhere be applied to the South China Sea?     

南中国海地区主要生态系统的退化现状与保育对策

南中国海是一个具有重要全球生物多样性意义的地区.由于长期不合理的开发利用,该区域生态系统显著退化,生物多样性严重丧失.南中国海沿岸各国红树林的年均损失率为0.5%～3.5%,海草床有20%～50%遭到破坏,珊瑚礁中有82%呈退化趋势.在对上述生态系统的利用现状、退化原因以及环境问题的跨境影响进行分析的基础上,提出了有效保护和管理南中国海的对策和建议,以期在双边或区域的层面上共同协作,采取适当措施扭转南中国海地区的生态系统退化趋势.     

Genome scan of the mitten crab Eriocheir sensu stricto in East Asia: population differentiation, hybridization and adaptive speciation

We examine the genetic structure and evolutionary history of the mitten crab Eriocheir sensu stricto in East Asia by employing a genome scan - amplified fragment length polymorphism. Population analysis reveals three divergent clades in Eriocheir s. s., which dominate the East China Sea-Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan (plus Okinawa) and the South China Sea, respectively, mostly in agreement with our previous mtDNA analysis. With the tropical South China Sea inferred as the origin, the East China Sea-Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan clades in the north diverged successively from the ancestral clade during the mid-Pleistocene. The divergence of the three clades likely resulted from isolation of the three marginal seas caused by sea level change in the Pleistocene. Two sympatric zones, one of the East China Sea-Yellow Sea and the South China Sea clades in southeast China and the other of the East China Sea-Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan clades in Vladivostok, are demonstrated to be hybrid zones, with hybridization occurring currently in the former but historically in the latter. Adaptive speciation is observed in the divergence process of the three clades, possibly because of selection from accumulated temperature. Our study indicates that the genetic structure and evolutionary history of Eriocheir s. s. have been primarily affected by Pleistocene glacial cycles, secondarily by divergent selection and drainage isolation, but only minimally by human activities.     

The law of the sea and regional fisheries policy

Abstract

The consequences of the inevitable acceptance of extended jurisdiction and its impact on fisheries policy in the South Pacific are considered within the framework of the principles outlined at the Third Session of the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference. It is pointed out that the fisheries resources of the region considered are dominated by highly migratory species, particularly tunas, and that the management of the fisheries on these species and the conservation of the species themselves will require comprehensive regional cooperation. Considering the common interests of the developing countries of the region and their comparative lack of experience in fisheries management and in surveillance and enforcement capabilities, it is argued that a regional fisheries agency is required. A wide range of possible functions for such a body is discussed and a three‐phase approach to the development of the agency is proposed.     

Maritime Security in the South China Sea: Coordinating Coastal and User State Priorities

Maritime security concerns in the South China Sea are increasing for several reasons: higher volumes of shipping traffic, protection of exclusive economic zone resources, piracy, terrorist threats, greater international scrutiny of ports and shipping, and the modernization of regional naval and coast guard forces. Coastal states and international user states have many overlapping interests in the South China Sea, for example, in promoting safe navigation through its busy sea-lanes. On other issues, in particular, antipiracy or anti-maritime terrorism measures, they have different views about the seriousness of the threats and the responses necessary to address them. This article examines the convergent and divergent maritime security interests of coastal states (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore) and international user states (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) in the South China Sea. It finds that multiple stakeholders pursuing diverse interests have yet to close the gap between goals and means of achieving maritime security.     

The Interpretation of Article 121(3) of UNCLOS by the Tribunal for the South China Sea Arbitration: A Critique

The interpretation of Article 121(3) of the 1982?U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was a key part of the Sino-Philippine Arbitration on the South China Sea Award issued in July 2016. This article uses the principles of treaty interpretation codified in Article 31 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties to evaluate the interpretation process. The Tribunal paid little attention to the text such as “rocks” in the plural form and overlooked the context of Article 121(3). The travaux préparatoires identified by the Tribunal was based on materials of doubtful weight.     

The National Distribution Pattern and Factors Affecting Heavy Metals in Sediments of Water Systems in China

Heavy metal discharge has become one of the most serious environmental problems due to extensive industrialization. Sixty eight sediment samples from four wetlands were collected to analyze the regional factors affecting metal deposition. Meanwhile, a national sediment data collection based on relevant publications was developed covering the period from 2000 to 2016 to study the metal distribution in China. Principal metals assessed in this study are Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, and Ni. At regional scale, the accumulation of Pb and Cd is significantly higher in surface than in subsurface sediments. At the national scale, heavy metals tend to increase with the increase in precipitation from 600 to 1500 mm. Further, metal deposition in the main river basins in China shows an increase trend from northern to southern China, and follows the order of: Pearl River > Yangste River > Yellow River > Hai River and Liao River. Cluster analyses show that these river basins contribute a large proportion of heavy metals to coastal metal deposition, which follows the order of: South Sea > East Sea > Bohai Sea > Yellow Sea. In general, metal deposition in sediments of water systems increases from northern to southern China irrespective of in-land area or coastal seas.     

Phylogeography of the mottled spinefoot Siganus fuscescens: Pleistocene divergence and limited genetic connectivity across the Philippine archipelago

Historical isolation during Pleistocene low sea level periods is thought to have contributed to divergence among marine basin populations across the Coral Triangle. In the Philippine archipelago, populations in the South China Sea, Sulu Sea–inland seas, and Philippine Sea‐Celebes Sea basins might have been partially isolated. Meanwhile, present‐day broadscale oceanographic circulation patterns suggest connectivity between these basins. To evaluate hypotheses regarding the influence of historical and contemporary factors on genetic structure, phylogeographic patterns based on mitochondrial control region sequences for a reef‐associated fish, Siganus fuscescens, were analysed. Three distinct lineages were recovered. One lineage was identified as the morphologically similar species Siganus canaliculatus, while two lineages are monophyletic with S. fuscescens. Clade divergence and demographic expansion in S. fuscescens occurred during the Pleistocene. A strong signal of latitudinal structure was detected (Φ_CT = 0.188), driven by marked differences in clade distribution: one clade is widely distributed (clade A), while a second clade (clade B) has a restricted northern distribution. Regional structure of clade A is consistent with the basin isolation hypothesis (Φ_CT = 0.040) and suggests isolation of the South China Sea (Φ_CT = 0.091). Fine‐scale structure was observed in the South China Sea and south Philippine Sea, while Sulu Sea and inland seas were unstructured. Genetic structure across multiple spatial scales (archipelagic, regional, and fine‐scale within basins) suggests the influence of vicariant barriers and contemporary limits to gene flow in S. fuscescens that may be influenced by oceanographic circulation, geographical distance between available habitats, and latitudinal temperature differences.     

Community Structure of Archaea from Deep-Sea Sediments of the South China Sea

Using the archaeal 16S rRNA gene, we determined the community structures of archaea of subseafloor sediments (～9-11 m below seafloor) from two geographically distant cores (MD05-2896, south, water depth 1,657 m; MD05-2902, north, water depth 3,697 m) in the South China Sea. Euryarchaeota accounted for 61.4% of total archaeal clone libraries at MD05-2896 and 56.2% at MD05-2902. At both locations, the Euryarchaeota-related sequences were dominated by Marine Benthic Group D, Terrestrial Miscellaneous Eryarchaeotal Group, and South African GoldMine Euryarchaeotal Group; the Crenarchaeota-related sequences were dominated by Marine Benthic Group B, Marine Group I, pSL12, and C3. The community structure showed no significant difference with depth at each location, suggesting the lack of stratification of archaeal populations in the deep-sea marine sediments in the South China Sea. On the other hand, the community structure is significantly different between the two sites, which may be related to geographical difference in the South China Sea.     

Conservation of reef corals in the South China Sea based on species and evolutionary diversity

The South China Sea in the Central Indo-Pacific is a large semi-enclosed marine region that supports an extraordinary diversity of coral reef organisms (including stony corals), which varies spatially across the region. While one-third of the world’s reef corals are known to face heightened extinction risk from global climate and local impacts, prospects for the coral fauna in the South China Sea region amidst these threats remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyse coral species richness, rarity, and phylogenetic diversity among 16 reef areas in the region to estimate changes in species and evolutionary diversity during projected anthropogenic extinctions. Our results show that richness, rarity, and phylogenetic diversity differ considerably among reef areas in the region, and that their outcomes following projected extinctions cannot be predicted by species diversity alone. Although relative rarity and threat levels are high in species-rich areas such as West Malaysia and the Philippines, areas with fewer species such as northern Vietnam and Paracel Islands stand to lose disproportionately large amounts of phylogenetic diversity. Our study quantifies various biodiversity components of each reef area to inform conservation planners and better direct sparse resources to areas where they are needed most. It also provides a critical biological foundation for targeting reefs that should be included in a regional network of marine protected areas in the South China Sea.     

欧洲旧石器时代晚期石器类型学评介及类型学相关问题探讨

类型学是考古材料描述与分析的基础。近年来,学者们对类型学尤其是旧石器时代石器类型学的反思较多,涉及类型学的理论基础、分类原则、类型学的考古解释能力等各个方面,然而少有中国学者系统介绍西方常用的旧石器考古类型学体系。鉴于此,本文主要介绍D. de Sonneville-Bordes与J. Perrot建立且在欧洲、西亚及北非应用较为普遍的旧石器时代晚期石器类型学,并思考旧石器考古学中类型学应用的相关问题。由于文化的区域多样性,描述中国的旧石器考古学材料时显然不能照搬欧洲的类型学体系,但可参考它并建立适宜于中国旧石器时代考古材料描述的体系。若此,一方面,我们可以更好地将中国的旧石器晚期考古材料与其他地区的相关材料进行对比;另一方面,可以揭示中国旧石器时代晚期石器类型的区域多样化。     

南海永兴岛的壁虎,兼记二新记录种

2017年12月对南海永兴岛的爬行动物进行了短期调查,发现3种壁虎科Gekkonidae动物,分别是截趾虎Gehyra mutilata、原尾蜥虎Hemidactylus bowringii和疣尾蜥虎H.frenatus。其中,截趾虎和原尾蜥虎为中国南海岛屿的新记录。     

福建平潭岛海域底栖贝类物种多样性及其地理分布

海洋底栖贝类是海洋底栖无脊椎动物的重要代表。福建平潭岛地处台湾海峡西岸北部, 是中国大陆距台湾岛最近之处, 其海域内的底栖贝类区系对了解台湾海峡及其附近海域的生态环境和底栖生物地理格局具有重要意义。本文基于对2015-2018年间中山大学国土资源与环境系在平潭岛海域采集的3,346号底栖贝类标本的鉴定, 结合已发表文献整理出了平潭岛海域底栖贝类名录, 并梳理了各物种在中国近海的地理分布类型。结果显示, 本研究所采标本分属58科122属161种, 其中47种为平潭岛海域新记录。结合历史文献记录, 平潭岛海域共有底栖贝类98科244属395种。其中93.7%的种类在南海亦有分布, 82.0%的种类在东海有分布, 31.1%的种类在黄渤海有分布, 42.3%的种类在台湾岛东部海域有分布。南海-东海分布型种类占区系总种数的49.9%; 其次为南海-黄渤海分布型(27.6%)和南海-台湾海峡分布型(16.2%)。分布限于台湾海峡及其以北的种类仅占总种数的6.3%。研究结果表明, 平潭岛海域底栖贝类区系具典型的亚热带性质, 暖水性种类和广温性种类占主要优势, 与南海北部和东海大陆沿岸地区的关系密切, 与台湾岛周边海域的联系相对较弱。     

南海永暑礁微型软体动物对晚全新世快速气候变化的响应

近2000年来的地球环境变化日益受到人们的关注,许多替代指标被用来指示快速的气候变化。本文试图通过南海永暑礁泻湖微型软体动物丰度和分异度的研究及其与北半球温度异常的对比,来阐述微型软体动物对快速气候变化的响应。研究表明,软体动物丰度变化的三个高值和三个低值较好地对应于北半球温度异常,显示了微型软体动物丰度对快速气候变化的灵敏反应。尤其重要的是“小冰期”和“中世纪暖期”被证明在南海也发生过。这表明快速的气候变化事件也会影响到热带海区。研究还证实另一次温暖的气候事件发生在大约 850A.D.—680A.D.之间。文中对软体动物分异度与气候变化的关系也作了探讨,并表明软体动物丰度和分异度是指示气候变化的有用指标。