Palace: New China map a mere drawing

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday belittled the new Chinese map showing the expanded territory being claimed by the Asian giant.

Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the new map is a mere drawing that has been superseded by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"Claims to maritime entitlements in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea... Hindi naman pwedeng ibatay sa drawing," Coloma said at a televised press briefing.

Coloma also pointed out the inconsistency in China's part since its new map now features a 10-dash line.

"Noong panahon ng nakaraang rehimen sa Tsina, yung Chiang Kai-Shek regime, 11-dash line dati 'yun. 'Yung 11 naging nine. Tapos ngayon 10. Pero sa kabuuan, to put it simply, dino-drawing lang nila 'yun," Coloma said.

On Wednesday, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that China unveiled a vertical atlas issued by the Hunan map publishing house which showed islands in the South China Sea sharing the same scale as the mainland.

China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said publishing houses in some of their regions create various kinds of Chinese maps with the purpose of serving the public.

"[T]here is no need to over-read it (new map). Chinese government's position on the South China Sea is consistent, clear and free of any change," Hua said in a press briefing.

China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations have overlapping exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has filed an arbitration case amid the increasing tensions and China's construction efforts in the disputed waters.

And while a new map showing Chinese-claimed territories has surfaced, Coloma said the Philippines will stick to non-violent means to resolve the maritime issues.

"Patuloy pa rin naman tayo sa ating adhikain na kinakailangnag maging mapayapa at alinsunod sa mga prosesong diplomatiko at legal ang dapat na umiral sa mga usaping 'yan," Coloma said.