The same punishment awaits Chinese citizens and foreigners convicted of “serious” illegal activities such as unlicensed fishing or wildlife poaching in Chinese waters, which include the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
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“The white paper issued on August 2, full of hackneyed expressions, distorts China’s justified and reasonable defense work, heightening issues in the South China Sea and the East China Sea”, said Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian in a statement.
China has conducted an effort throughout the South China Sea in recent years, transforming reefs into artificial islands that can support military installations, ignoring competing claims in the region by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan, as well as the Philippines, VOA News informed.
Last month, an UN-backed worldwide tribunal struck down China’s claims over the South China Sea, saying Beijing has no “historic rights” in the disputed area.
The penalty also applies to those who illegally enter China’s territorial seas to fish but do not engage in “illegal fishing” under the law, it said.
The Supreme People’s Court issued a judicial interpretation on Monday specifying standards for convicting and punishing those engaged in illegal fishing or entry into Chinese territorial waters and refusing to obey commands to leave.
It claims Australia is willing to “do anything in a show of allegiance” for the United States, but was more than willing to turn its back on China, its biggest trade partner, when there was no economic gain.
The court said it is “China’s first full-scale judicial interpretation on maritime crimes”.
A state-run Chinese newspaper has demanded “revenge” against Australia after it backed an worldwide tribunal’s landmark decision to reject its claims over the South China Sea.
The Hague ruling found that China had no historic title to the waters and had breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines, which brought the case. “North Korea’s military activity has increased tensions on the Korean peninsula, and become a grave and imminent threat not only to Japan but also to the security in the region and the worldwide society”.
On Weibo, a state-regulated blogging site, Lian Fang, a professor at the military-run National Defense University said that, “The Chinese military will step up and fight hard and China will never submit to any country on matters of sovereignty”, Reuters reports.
Chang’s comments came several weeks after an global tribunal dismissed the country’s claim to most of the South China Sea, a judgement it angrily rejected.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said in February that China’s military presence in the South China Sea was increasing the risk of “miscalculation or conflict” between regional countries.
Beijing sparked alarm after it unilaterally established an air defence identification zone in the East China Sea in 2013, demanding all aircraft submit flight plans when traversing the zone which covers islands disputed with Tokyo and also claimed by Taipei.
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China also has maritime disputes with a number of other countries, including Japan and Vietnam.
