China is seeking to expand its Exclusive Economic Zone deep into the South Korean’s Yellow Sea, the latest move in what appears to be a comprehensive strategy to seize control over Asian waters.
China is demanding that the South Korea to cede a very large part of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Yellow Sea to Chinese government that includes a submerged sea mount named Ieo that host a Korean marine research facility.
Officials from the two nations started open talks on the issue in Seoul, Tuesday. Recent claims by the Chinese government suggest that the sea mount falls within Chinese waters and should be called as Suyan Rock are causing concern.
China’s military have already took control over South China Sea by claiming a number of reefs and shoals by building artificial islands and suspected military bases, ignoring claims of Vietnam and the Philippines.
During their talks, China proposed that the problem of overlapping exclusive economic zones in the Yellow Sea should be solve by moving the demarcation line to east, closer to the Korean coast because China is larger, has a bigger population and a longer coastline than South Korea.
South Korea on their part stated that the demands of China is quite unacceptable.
China, currently has a territorial dispute with Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Analysts is saying that China is trying to push its sea borders as it stretches its new-found economic and military power in the Western Pacific. -John Esconde
