Philippines: China's 'ambitious expansionism' in new map

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines slammed China's publishing of a new vertical map showing contested isles and reefs of the West Philippine Sea as part of its territory.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose called China's latest move asserting its contentious maritime claims as seen in the map as an "ambitious expansionism." The map uses the "nine-dash line" defining 80 percent of the waterway within its sovereignty.

Jose said that coming up with a new map does not legitimize its claim over Philippine-claimed waters.

"We should also take note that no other country recognizes China's previously nine-dash line claim so publishing a new map does not make the territories that they claim," he said in an interview with ANC on Wednesday night.

A Chinese publishing house released the new map Wednesday recognized by Beijing showing Philippine-claimed Spratly (Kalayaan) Islands and the Vietnam-claimed Paracel Islands as part of China.

Lei Yixun, editor-in-chief of Hunan map publishing house shows a vertical atlas of China which is newly-issued by the publishing house in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, on June 23, 2014. Xinhua

Read and view larger map: China bares new map covering Kalayaan Islands

The maritime features in the disputed waterway are no longer depicted as illustrations unlike in older versions.

"Islands in South China Sea share the same scale with mainland and are better shown than traditional maps," Beijing-owned Xinhua News Agency said, describing the map.=

The Philippines has objected to China's territorial claims, intimidation and encroachment before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, seeking an arbitration proceeding to settle the dispute.

China rejected the arbitration case, insisting on direct negotiations with the Philippines hoping for a compromise over resource-rich waters. - Camille Diola