Philippines in fresh China ship protest

　　The Philippines said on Tuesday it had filed a fresh protest against China for allegedly harassing a Manila-registered archaeological ship in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, potentially prolonging a week-long maritime stand-off between the two countries.

　　菲律宾周二表示，它已向中国提交一项新的抗议，理由是中国据称在南中国海的斯卡伯勒浅滩（Scarborough Shoal，中国称黄岩岛——译者注）骚扰一艘菲律宾籍考古船，此举可能延长两国之间已持续一周的海上对峙。

　　The impasse was triggered by a Philippine navy ship’s attempt to detain eight Chinese fishing vessels for allegedly fishing illegally in Philippine waters last week. The Philippine navy vessel, the Chinese fishing boats and a Chinese maritime surveillance craft then left the shoal, easing the impasse somewhat.

　　引发此次海上僵局的事件是，上周一艘菲律宾军舰企图以涉嫌在菲律宾水域非法捕鱼为由扣留8艘中国渔船。后来，这艘菲律宾军舰、中国渔船和一艘中国海监船离开斯卡伯勒浅滩，使僵局有所缓和。

　　But a Philippine Coast Guard ship and two Chinese maritime surveillance vessels are now involved in a further stand off, this time, over the research vessel, which is part of a joint project of the Philippine government’s National Museum and a French foundation to map the area for ancient shipwrecks.

　　但是，一艘菲律宾海岸警卫队(PCG)船只和两艘中国海监船现在陷入又一场对峙，这一次是围绕上述考古研究船。该船是菲律宾政府的国家博物馆与法国某基金会的一个联合项目的一部分，目的是测绘该地区的古代沉船遗骸分布。

　　A spokesman of the Philippine department of foreign affairs said Manila submitted the protest to the Chinese embassy on Monday afternoon after Chinese surveillance ships approached the research vessel and told it to leave the shoal. Raul Hernandez, the spokesman, said the new incident was “part of the continued intrusion and illegal activities being done by China in our area.”

　　菲律宾外交部发言人表示，马尼拉方面在周一下午向中国大使馆递交了抗议书。此前，上述中国海监船靠近菲律宾考古研究船，要求其离开斯卡伯勒浅滩。发言人劳尔•埃尔南德斯(Raul Hernandez)表示，这一新的事件是“中国在我方辖区进行持续侵入和非法活动的一部分。”

　　The Chinese embassy in Manila said the research vessel needs to secure Beijing’s permission to conduct any archaeological activity in the area, which it calls Huangyan Island. “There is, indeed, an ancient Chinese wreck ship in Huangyan Island area, of which China has the ownership,” it said in a statement. “In accordance with relevant international conventions and Chinese laws, it is illegal to conduct salvage activities without the permission of the Chinese government.”

　　中国驻马尼拉大使馆表示，这艘考古研究船需要先获得北京方面的许可，才能在中国所称的“黄岩岛”地区从事考古活动。中国大使馆在一份声明中表示，“黄岩岛”地区的确有一艘中国古船的遗骸，其所有权归中国，根据相关的国际公约和中国法律，不得到中国政府的许可就进行打捞活动是非法的。

　　Jeremy Barns, the director of Manila’s National Museum, said the research vessel had been in Scarborough Shoal for three weeks and had originally planned to stay in the area for about a month. He said the ship was still in the area even after being warned off by the Chinese ships. “It’s still there. The Philippine Coast Guard is doing its best to secure the vessel,” he said.

　　马尼拉的国家博物馆馆长杰里米•巴恩斯(Jeremy Barns)表示，这艘考古研究船在斯卡伯勒浅滩作业已有3周，而原计划在该地区停留大约一个月。他表示，该船仍在原地，即便中方船只已警告其离开。“船仍在那里。菲律宾海岸警卫队正尽力保障该船，”他表示。

　　Mr Barns said he thought it was ironic that a research project to highlight the area’s “shared maritime history” had found itself in the middle of a diplomatic dispute between China and the Philippines. “We think the area is an ancient trade route, and we’ve initially found signs of sunken ships from China, other Asian countries and even western countries,” he said.

　　巴恩斯表示，他认为具有讽刺意味的是，以该地区“共同海上历史”为主题的一个研究项目，竟被卷入中国与菲律宾的外交争端。“我们认为该地区处于一条古代贸易航线上，我们已发现了中国、亚洲其他国家乃至西方国家沉没船只的初步迹象，”他表示。

　　In spite of the fresh protest, the Philippine foreign secretary, Albert del Rosario, said Manila does not seek to escalate the impasse and is appealing for China to join the Philippines in submitting the dispute for settlement by the UN. “The whole world knows that China has myriad more ships and aircraft than the Philippines,” he said in a statement. “In pursuing a peaceful settlement of the Scarborough Shoal issue, we fully intend to humbly invite our Chinese friends to join us in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea,” the UN body that decides on maritime claims.

　　尽管提出了新的抗议，但菲律宾外交部长阿尔伯特•德尔罗萨里奥(Albert del Rosario)表示，马尼拉方面无意使僵持局势升级，并呼吁中国与菲律宾一起将这场纠纷提交联合国解决。“全世界都知道中国的舰船和战机比菲律宾多得多，”他在一份声明中表示。“为了寻求斯卡伯勒浅滩问题的和平解决，我们完全有意谦恭地邀请我们的中国朋友与我们一起将其提交国际海洋法法庭(ITLOS)。”该法庭是裁决海事主张的联合国机构。

　　The Philippine government has invited China to the international court before, but the Chinese have always refused, preferring to resolve such disputes bilaterally.

　　菲律宾政府以往曾邀请中方将纠纷提交国际法庭解决，但中方始终拒绝，坚持要在双边框架内解决此类纠纷。