Chinese scholars criticize the 10-dash line

Recently, a Chinese map publisher has published a new 10-dash line. This continues to be criticized and rejected by many Chinese scholars.

The so-called “nine-dash line” (also known as the “cow tongue line”) is considered by the Chinese government, media, and many scholars as a “traditional historical line” and is used as a basis to annex almost the entire East Sea (they call it “South China Sea”), but has always been opposed by other countries because of its absurdity. Recently, a Chinese map publisher has introduced a new 10-dash cow tongue line. This has continued to be criticized and rejected by many Chinese scholars.

Vertical map showing 10 segments "swallowing" almost the entire East Sea released by China (Photo: Xinhua)

Child's Play: The 9-Dash Line Suddenly Turns Into a 10-Dash Line

On June 27, scholar Liu Xiaoxing posted on his personal page an article titled “Children’s Play: The Nine-Dash Line Suddenly Turns Into a Ten-Dash Line,” criticizing the Hunan Provincial Map Publishing House for publishing two vertical administrative and topographic maps of China, which for the first time show the islands in the East Sea at the same scale instead of an enlarged version in the bottom corner like previous horizontal maps.

Mr. Liu Xiaoxing wrote: “In the newly published vertical map of China, the traditional “Nine-Dash Line” in the South China Sea suddenly turned into a “Ten-Dash Line”. What kind of trick is that? Currently, the Nine-Dash Line is still being debated and rejected by the international community, and has not yet been able to stand firm. Now, more details are being drawn into a “Ten-Dash Line” that is neither corn nor potatoes. This will only make the “Nine-Dash Line” even more despised by the international community!”

Scholar Liu Xiaoxing wrote: “I don’t know what the people who made the map with the 10-dash line were thinking? Or were their brains full of water?

If China wants to use the “Nine-Dash Line” to compete for maritime rights in the South China Sea, it must clearly tell the world what it is. What is the legal basis? No matter how the world asks or demands, they refuse to talk. What use is it to just draw this and that on the map? What a joke to the international community!”

How many more days will the 9-dash line last?

Liu Xiaoxing is a scholar who has written many articles with opposing views to the government on maritime issues. His articles posted on the website http://kejilfkejilf.blog.163.com/ are often reposted by many other websites. On June 30, 2014, he wrote an article “How many days does the “Nine-Dash Line” have left?” criticizing the Chinese government’s attitude of avoiding the truth and stubbornness.

He wrote: On June 5, 2014, the Hague International Court of Arbitration issued a notice, requiring China within 6 months to "defend" the Philippines' lawsuit regarding the territorial dispute in the East Sea between the two countries; if China does not respond before December 5, the Court will hear the case even if China is absent. Some domestic experts and press have shown disdain for the Philippines' lawsuit against China at the International Court of Arbitration; they believe that even if the Court decides that the Philippines wins the case, it will have no legal effect on China, China can just do as it pleases, while the Filipinos have to bear the exorbitant court fees, which is like carrying water with a basket, a waste of effort.

But, don't underestimate this case. The Philippines' lawsuit against China is nearly 4,000 pages long, concluding that China's nine-dash line claim is invalid. The Filipinos know that using military force against China is ineffective, so they spared no expense in hiring a good American lawyer to help with this lawsuit. That lawyer is Lawyer Paul Rachel, a famous international lawyer who specializes in helping small countries sue big countries, such as helping Nicaragua sue the US, helping Georgia sue Russia, Morocco sue the UK, Bangladesh sue India, most famously, he helped Nicaragua win the lawsuit against the US for helping the Contra rebels fight against the leftist Sandinist government. Of the three issues that this advisor helped the Philippines sue China, the focus was on the legality of the so-called nine-dash line.

Scholar Liu Xiaoxing believes that once the Court issues a ruling that the nine-dash line is invalid, China will not accept it, but the international community will recognize it, and neighboring countries along the East Sea will recognize it. At that time, China will be in a difficult position, how can it bring out something that the whole world considers invalid (the nine-dash line) to compete for rights with other countries? Obviously, the legal effect of the nine-dash line has been invalidated by the ruling of the Hague International Court of Arbitration.

Liu Xiaoxing believes that to avoid falling into a dire situation, what China needs to do immediately is to clarify the legal meaning of the Nine-Dash Line, to tell the world what historical rights it has and what China's rights are in this sea area. Waiting until the Court has made its decision will make it too late to do anything.

Liu Xiaoxing's article has received special attention from Chinese lawyers, many of whom have reposted it on their personal blogs.

The cause of the dispute between China and its neighboring countries along the East Sea is the "Nine-dash line".

Mr. Uat Chi Vinh, former Deputy Commander of the East Sea Marine Surveillance, is currently a researcher at the China Ocean Development Research Center. Although he has a similar viewpoint to the government, he also has to admit that the Chinese government's policy on the so-called "Nine-Dash Line" has no solid foundation, is not supported by the academic community, and is the cause of maritime disputes with neighboring countries.

In an article published in the international magazine Glocal Reporter on July 1, 2014 and widely published on Chinese websites, Uat Chi Vinh wrote: “Even Chinese academic circles are constantly arguing and cannot agree with each other about the so-called “nine-dash line”. The first type of opinion believes that drawing the nine-dash line all the way to people’s doorsteps is not suitable for the actual situation, and this (unreasonable) demand should be discarded. The second type believes that if China advocates demarcation according to the nine-dash line, it should withdraw from the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The third type of opinion believes that the nine-dash line is only a representation of the issue of islands’ ownership, while the sea area must be demarcated according to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea./.

According to Tien Phong