South China Sea history needs to be told correctly: global scholars

In the face of deliberate distortion of the history of the South China Sea, there is an urgent need to re-establish the truth, some Chinese and foreign scholars have proposed.

A workshop on the history and the laws governing the South China Sea was held in Haikou City of South China's Hainan Province on Tuesday, with the attendance of more than 100 experts and scholars from various countries and regions.

At the workshop, experts and scholars conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as the sovereignty of the South China Sea islands, the political and legal implications of the South China Sea historical archives.

In recent times, the Philippines has frequently provoked China on the South China Sea issue. In this regard, the participants clearly pointed out that the South China Sea islands have been China's territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them.

The Chinese people were the first to discover, name and develop these islands and related waters. It was the Chinese administration that first exercised jurisdiction over them - a practice that has continued in a peaceful and effective manner without interruption. China has sufficient historical and legal basis for its territorial sovereignty over the islands and surrounding waters.

Regarding the continuous turmoil caused by the Philippines in the South China Sea, Mark Hoskin, professor of the Department of English and International Affairs at China Foreign Affairs University and member of the London Court of International Arbitration, analyzed that there are economic reasons behind this.

"This is no more than the Philippines doing what for generations it has done - trying to claim more and more maritime territory of the islands. And the reason for that is very simple. About 90 percent of the reefs of the islands off the Philippines have been destroyed, along with the mangrove swamps. So, the main fishery grounds that they relied on traditionally are no longer there," said Hoskin,

On June 14, 2024, the Philippines submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea where it sought to have the exclusive right to exploit resources.

Experts and scholars attending the workshop agreed that this unilateral move is aimed at stirring up the South China Sea situation and seeking support from countries outside the region for its illegal claims.

"I believe there are considerations for confirming the arbitration and consolidating the Philippines' illegal gains. Moreover, just like the first 'arbitration award' in 2013, there are underlying factors. I think it's possible that countries outside the region like the United States have given the Philippines advice. This submission caused the tense situation in the South China Sea," said Wu Shicun, president of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance.

China has reiterated its stance on the Philippines' frequent provocations in the South China Sea, urging the Philippine side to stop infringements and provocations, and misleading the international community.

South China Sea history needs to be told correctly: global scholars

China has intensified its flood control efforts as the country's Yangtze River is experiencing its 2024 "No.1 Flood".

Due to continuous rainfall, the water level of Taihu Lake has risen to 3.81 meters as of Sunday afternoon, with 24 monitoring stations exceeding the warning level. Currently, Suzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province has raised the emergency flood response level to Level III.

"In just a short span of 15 and a half hours, the water level [at Taipu sluice gate] rose by 21 centimeters. At present, Taipu sluice gate is discharging water downstream in accordance with the instructions from the Taihu Lake Basin Authority," said Ze Zhenrong, director of the Taipu River Management Office, Taihu Lake Basin Authority.

According to meteorological forecasts, the Taihu Lake Basin will continue to experience rainfall in the next three days, leading to a continued rise in the water level of the lake. It is possible that the water level may exceed four meters, indicating a severe flood control situation.

Affected by persistent heavy rainfalls, multiple tributaries connected to Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, China's two largest freshwater lakes, have seen major flooding.

At 09:00 on Sunday, the water level at the Chenglingji hydrological station of Dongting Lake, in central China's Hunan Province reached 33 meters, surpassing the warning line.

The city of Yueyang has mobilized over 3,000 grassroots Party organizations and more than 80,000 Party members and officials to conduct 24-hour patrols.

Due to rainfall, a road collapse occurred on the Yueyang section of Pingjiang-Dongko Expressway at 08:00 on Sunday. The traffic police implemented temporary traffic control measures. Thanks to a timely response, there were no vehicles falling or casualties at the scene. Currently, the site of the collapse is still undergoing emergency repairs.

Also, starting from Saturday, the water level in the Wushui River section of Xinhuan County in Hunan's Huaihua City has been continuously rising. Local authorities immediately began relocating affected residents to safe areas. By the early morning of Sunday, a total of 28,000 people had been relocated in the area.

In addition, the education bureau of Huaihua issued a notice on Sunday, suspending all offline educational activities in primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and extracurricular training institutions throughout the city.

Due to continuous rainfall and upstream inflows, the water level of Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province continues to rise even after surpassing the warning level. As of 09:00 on Sunday, the water level at the lake's landmark Xingzi hydrological station had exceeded the warning level by 1.69 meters.

China intensifies disaster control efforts as Yangtze River sees first flood of 2024