Climate Change

Air Law

China blocked a US$ 3.8 billion by the Hong Kong Airlines for 10 Airbus aircraft, apparently in retaliation to the EU move to make all airlines flying into Europe pay for their pollution causing climate change.

Law of the Sea

Japan lodged a protest against China after a Chinese marine research vessel entered the waters about 330 kilometres off Japan's tsunami-hit northeast coast, apparently to check for radiation without Tokyo's consent. Japan said the spot was inside her EEZ.

Territory - South China Sea

Dispute Settlement

With her economy heavily reliant on fishery in the South China Sea and 30% of her GDP coming from oil production in the disputed waters, Vietnam has been the leading adversary to China's claims in the area. But now the two countries agreed to hold talks on how to resolve the territorial conflicts. They also showed their common disregard of freedom of expression by agreeing to "strengthen public opinion guidance to prevent words and actions that would be detrimental to the friendship and mutual trust between the peoples of the two countries", an apparent reference to continued anti-China protests in Hanoi. Later, a Chinese FM spokesman urged Vietnam to implement the undertaking to speed up consultations over a pact regarding the fundamental principles on solving maritime disputes between the two nations.

Territory - South China Sea

After the US and Japan issued a joint statement calling for China's "adherence to international norms of behaviour" and the Philippines citing a 1951 treaty that supposedly obliged the US to help defend the Philippines should she come under attack in the disputed Spratly Islands, the tensions over the South China Sea finally reached the level of big power diplomacy. Vice FM Cui Tiankai reminded the US that she "is not a claimant state to the dispute" and "so it is better for the United States to leave the dispute to be sorted out between the claimant states.” He issued the stern warning that “I believe the individual countries are actually playing with fire, and I hope the fire will not be drawn to the United States.” Kurt Campbell, a US assistant secretary of state. later responded that the US "does not take a position on sovereignty issues, but we also have strong principles that are long-standing in the maintenance of freedom of navigation, and free and unimpeded legal commerce, and the maintenance of peace and stability".

Recognition

Non-Intervention

Is China retreating from its long-standing insistence on non-intervention in another country's internal strife? FM Yang Jiechi met with the Chairman of the Executive Board of Libya's opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) and recognised NTC as "an important dialogue partner", saying that since NTC was established, "its representative nature has increased daily and it has gradually become an important domestic political force".

Territory - South China Sea

Use of Force

The tension in the South China Sea is filled with a heavy dose of irony. After a live-fire military drill, a declaration on conscription and affirming that she will "stand up to" aggressors, Vietnam now called, jointly with her old war foe the US, for freedom of navigation and non-use of force in the South China Sea, China, meanwhile, conducted three small-scale military exercises, including marine mine sweeping and missile tests. While sending its largest warship into the controversial waters, the Philippines said through an armed forces spokesman, "We hope someday we can exercise with the Chinese Navy."

Nationality - Statelessness

Hong Kong

A former citizen of Kazakhstan reportedly became a stateless person whilst in Hong Kong and was awaiting the Hong Kong Immigration Department to afford him. protection.

International Crime

International Court

China extended an invitation to Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir to visit China for a week, even though the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for al-Bashir on war crime charges. "China would like to play a positive role in promoting Sudan's peace and reconciliation, boosting the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and safeguarding regional peace and stability," a Chinese FM spokesman said.

Extradition

The Australian government said it was considering approval of a prisoner transfer treaty with China so that Stern Hu, a former Rio Tinto executive, might serve out the rest of his 10-year prison term in Australia.

Territory - South China Sea

Taiwan

Maintaining China's "indisputable sovereignty" over the islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters, a spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office suggested, "People from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have a shared responsibility to safeguard them." Taiwan's Foreign Ministry did not respond.

Jurisdiction

Extradition

An internal report by the People's Bank of China revealed that as many as 18,000 corrupt Chinese officials may have fled the country with as much as 800 billion yuan in ill-gotten gains between the mid-1990s and 2008. Hong Kong was identified as a popular transit point for the fugitives.

Jurisdiction

Looking into allegations that counterfeit electronics made in Shenzhen have infiltrated the Pentagon's supply chain, investigators for a US senate committee tried to conduct unsupervised interviews in Shenzhen but were not granted visas by Beijing. A Chinese FM spokesman explained that "conducting a judicial investigation inside any country is the exclusive right of the judicial organisation of that country", and that China was willing to launch judicial co-operation with other countries.

Law of the Sea - South China Sea

Vietnam accused China of another "serious violation" of Vietnamese sovereignty when she alleged that a Chinese fishing boat intentionally rammed and damaged survey cables that a Vietnamese oil ship was towing in waters of the South China Sea which Vietnam claimed to be her EEZ and which was disputed by China. Later, Vietnam appeared ready to impoverish its people yet again with military adventures when she announced that she would conduct a "routine" live-fire naval exercises off its coast and the Vietnamese prime minister signed an order on eligibility for military conscription.

State Immunity

Hong Kong

Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal embraced the absolute immunity doctrine which the PRC Government adheres to in a case against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, subject to four questions of the Basic Law relating to state immunity which the Court submitted to the national legislature for interpretation.

Recognition of Government

Aiming to protect its business interests in Libya, Chinese diplomats met with the Libyan opposition leader while Libya's Foreign Minister was about to visit China.

Law of the Sea - South China Sea

With the Philippines calling China's actions in the South China Sea as "the most serious breach" of the 2002 Asean-China DOC and Vietnam calling China's "nine-dotted line" as having no basis in international law, Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie made clear that “freedom of navigation has never been impeded” in the South China Sea. Later, a Chinese FM spokesman said that “China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and adjacent waters" and that China's position “has remained unchanged for centuries". Later, Chinese ambassador to the Philippines called on the neighbouring states to stop searching for oil near the Spratly Islands, saying, "We will never use force unless we are attacked,"

Territory - South China Sea

US defence secretary Robert Gates warned that there were “increasing concerns” about recent Chinese actions in the South China Sea, saying, "I fear that without rules of the road and agreed approaches to dealing with these problems that there will be clashes.” A Chinese FM spokesman later responded that "internationalising" disputes in the South China Sea will only make matters worse and stressed that the problems can be resolved only through bilateral consultations among countries that have territorial claims in the region.

Territory - South China Sea

The Philippines summoned a Chinese envoy to convey "serious concerns" over China's recent incursions into disputed waters in the South China Sea as well as certain construction activity there, which Manila accused as "clear violation" of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Later, the Philippine President's office put forward a brilliant idea of bolstering the Philippine claims to the disputed areas by declaring that it was renaming the South China Sea as the "West Philippine Sea". Presumably, the Pacific Ocean may also be renamed the East Philippine Sea in due course.

Law of the Sea - South China Sea

Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty and EEZ, alleging that three Chinese patrol ships rushed a Vietnamese oil exploration vessel and damaged its cables while it was conducting survey and drilling operations in waters of the South China Sea disputed by both countries. A Chinese FM spokeswoman replied that Vietnam's offshore exploration of oil and gas in China's jurisdictional areas "undermined China's interests and jurisdictional rights in the South China Sea and violated the consensus both countries have reached on the issue".