中國：北極海是公共財，但南中國海與東中國海例外

中國：北極海是公共財，但南中國海與東中國海例外

【Comment】

“Chinese public institutes and scholars have maintained that Arctic maritime routes and seabed riches should be for the use of all mankind,” the New York Times indicated.  However, Chinese think and do the opposite by claiming South China Sea and East China Sea.
Being thousands of miles away from the Arctic Sea and being an ad hoc observer to the Arctic Council on request/permission base, Beijing does not hesitate to show her eagerness to access the Council and the Sea through member state Iceland, or Greenland, a dependency of Denmark.  
The legal frameworks that the Arctic Council member states have achieved were based on the existing principles of UNCLOS, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  Yet Beijing looks down on UNCLOS in terms of the disputes with neighboring countries on South China Sea and East China Sea.
China will soon encounter the dilemma to recognizes and follow the rules of UNCLOS or keep assertive as she has always been?    revised on 20130316

「中國的公共機構和學者一直宣稱，北極海洋通道和海底資源應屬於全人類」，但南中國海與東中國海例外。
但北極海理事會成員國的合作架構，奠基於現存〈聯合國海洋法公約〉。如果中國想要進入北極海，勢必得尊重〈聯合國海洋法公約〉，這顯然與其在南中國海的主張衝突。
遲遲不願接受「國際法不是針對中國而設」的事實，中國該自陷矛盾，或是自作主張？

美刊公佈封鎖中國計畫◎俄羅斯之聲（2013.03.14）
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20130312/t10013155341000.html

冰島長期孤立的狀態被第二次世界大戰和冷戰所打破，原因就是該國位於連接北大西洋和北冰洋的戰略性位置，使它成為北約(NATO)和美國的關鍵防禦屏障。然而，隨着蘇聯的解體，這個島國似乎再次變得無關緊要，2006年，美國撤走了它在凱夫拉維克空軍基地(Keflavik Air Base)的最後一架軍用飛機。現在，形勢再度出現變化：北極冰川的融化，打開了新的海洋航道，以及通向豐富自然資源的途徑。

根據美國地質勘探局(U.S. Geological Survey)在2008年所進行的一次調查估計，北極海底蘊藏了全球13%未開採的石油、30%的天然氣以及20%的液態天然氣。而冰島是建立基地的絕佳位置，以進行海洋研究、海底鑽井，並為開採和運輸提供後勤支持。北極冰川不斷融化，也使亞歐間的海洋運輸發生了革命性變化——和由蘇伊士運河連接的傳統路線相比，北極東北航道(Northeast Polar Passage)最多能將交通成本降低40%。

冰島再度成為戰略通道，很多國家對此表現出越來越大的興趣，中國就是其中之一。現在，到了美國加強它和冰島關係的時候了。

在2008年簽訂《伊魯利薩特宣言》(Ilulissat Declaration)時，北極理事會(Arctic Council)的五個成員國——美國、加拿大、丹麥-格陵蘭島、挪威和俄國——以及冰島、瑞典和芬蘭共同宣布，按照《國際海洋法公約》(United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)的條款，它們享有對北極地區的管轄權。

儘管冰島不被認為是北極海域的沿海國，但它位於北極地區，而且，根據1981年該國和挪威簽訂的雙邊協定，冰島在揚馬延島沿海大陸架進行開採活動的權利得到了國際認可。該地區可能蘊藏着豐富的礦產資源。

雖然中國沒有公開闡述其對北極地區的官方政策，但它不太可能會支持北極理事會的單邊決定。對這個最大的製造業國家來說，北極海洋通道非常重要。而且，近年來，中國做了大量努力，以獲得世界各地的礦產和能源資源。中國的公共機構和學者一直宣稱，北極海洋通道和海底資源應屬於全人類。

另外，中國已經開始向冰島示好，以期加入北極理事會。去年，在溫家寶總理和一個大型中國代表團出訪歐洲時，冰島是他們的第一站。而當中國的破冰船“雪龍號”訪問冰島時，總統奧拉維爾·拉格納·格里姆松(Olafur Ragnar Grimsson)在其住處親自接見了“雪龍”號的工作人員。而現在，相隔萬里的中國和冰島正在討論簽訂雙邊自由貿易協定，儘管一個是龐然大物，一個地域狹小。

中國計劃在冰島北部的一個廣闊、偏遠地區建設一處“旅遊勝地”，此地還可以作為一處為建設和服務北極港口的工人所使用的設施，而這些港口的目的則是貿易與勘探。這個位於冰島東北部的項目還可以與中國最近宣布的一個價值數十億美元的項目相結合，該項目旨在開發格陵蘭島努克北部的鐵礦。

簡而言之，中國正在北極尋覓一個位置，這種嘗試始於格陵蘭島，隨後是冰島的支持設施。這些設施有可能用於支持軍艦在北極和北極東北航道巡航。冰島並非歐盟成員國，而且一直以來似乎都受到了美國的冷遇。

歐洲北極地區的安全和穩定涉及歐盟和美國的關鍵利益。幸運的是，增強這種安全保障，並不需要在冰島重新建立一座軍事基地或協商簽訂新的條約，因為1949年的《北大西洋公約》(North Atlantic Treaty)、1951年的《美國冰島防務條約》(U.S.-Iceland Defense Treaty)和2006年協商確定的一些安排都仍有效力。後者的安排涉及空中警察執法、軍事演習和在凱夫拉維克機場建立聯合搜救合作組。

當下美國應當更全面地考慮局勢的變化。首先，美國要先與北大西洋的老盟友、朋友和鄰居增進磋商與合作。至少，美國和冰島應在北極問題上，建立更加緊密的關係。在這個重要性不斷提高的地區，支持冰島在經濟安全和穩定上所做的努力，還能繼續提升冰島在北約內部長期以來的重要性。

第二，在冰島向加入歐盟邁進的同時，提議建立的“跨大西洋貿易與投資夥伴關係”(Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership)也應將冰島包含在內。

第三，美國應當大規模參與挪威和冰島即將舉行的“北方維京”(Northern Viking)軍事演習。美國和冰島的海岸警衛隊應當建立更有力的合作，來從凱夫拉維克機場提供搜救援助。

通過這種相互幫助、開展合作的明確行動，冰島就能繼續維持全面的自由和獨立。同時，美國應當明確表態，與冰島的全面合作，尤其是在獲取原材料和環境保護問題上的合作，在美國面向這個越來越重要的地區的國家戰略中，是一個重要的組成部分。

埃納爾·貝內迪克松(Einar Benediktsson)曾任冰島駐美國、北約和歐盟大使。托馬斯·R·皮克林(Thomas R. Pickering)曾任美國負責政治事務的副國務卿，以及美國駐俄羅斯和聯合國大使。

翻譯：谷菁璐、林蒙克

THE ILULISSAT DECLARATION

ARCTIC OCEAN CONFERENCE

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND, 27 – 29 MAY 2008

At the invitation of the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Premier of Greenland, representatives of the five coastal States bordering on the Arctic Ocean – Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Russian Federation and the United States of America – met at the political level on 28 May 2008 in Ilulissat, Greenland, to hold discussions.  They adopted the following declaration:

The Arctic Ocean stands at the threshold of significant changes.  Climate change and the melting of ice have a potential impact on vulnerable ecosystems, the livelihoods of local inhabitants and indigenous communities, and the potential exploitation of natural resources.

By virtue of their sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in large areas of the Arctic Ocean the five coastal states are in a unique position to address these possibilities and challenges.  In this regard, we recall that an extensive international legal framework applies to the Arctic Ocean as discussed between our representatives at the meeting in Oslo on 15 and 16 October 2007 at the level of senior officials.  Notably, the law of the sea provides for important rights and obligations concerning the delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment, including ice-covered areas, freedom of navigation, marine scientific research, and other uses of the sea.  We remain committed to this legal framework and to the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims.

This framework provides a solid foundation for responsible management by the five coastal States and other users of this Ocean through national implementation and application of relevant provisions.  We therefore see no need to develop a new comprehensive international legal regime to govern the Arctic Ocean.  We will keep abreast of the developments in the Arctic Ocean and continue to implement appropriate measures.

The Arctic Ocean is a unique ecosystem, which the five coastal states have a stewardship role in protecting.  Experience has shown how shipping disasters and subsequent pollution of the marine environment may cause irreversible disturbance of the ecological balance and major harm to the livelihoods of local inhabitants and indigenous communities.  We will take steps in accordance with international law both nationally and in cooperation among the five states and other interested parties to ensure the protection and preservation of the fragile marine environment of the Arctic Ocean.  In this regard we intend to work together including through the International Maritime Organization to strengthen existing measures and develop new measures to improve the safety of maritime navigation and prevent or reduce the risk of ship-based pollution in the Arctic Ocean.

The increased use of Arctic waters for tourism, shipping, research and resource development also increases the risk of accidents and therefore the need to further strengthen search and rescue capabilities and capacity around the Arctic Ocean to ensure an appropriate response from states to any accident.  Cooperation, including on the sharing of information, is a prerequisite for addressing these challenges.  We will work to promote safety of life at sea in the Arctic Ocean, including through bilateral and multilateral arrangements between or among relevant states.

The five coastal states currently cooperate closely in the Arctic Ocean with each other and with other interested parties.  This cooperation includes the collection of scientific data concerning the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment and other scientific research.  We will work to strengthen this cooperation, which is based on mutual trust and transparency, inter alia, through timely exchange of data and analyses.

The Arctic Council and other international fora, including the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, have already taken important steps on specific issues, for example with regard to safety of navigation, search and rescue, environmental monitoring and disaster response and scientific cooperation, which are relevant also to the Arctic Ocean.  The five coastal states of the Arctic Ocean will continue to contribute actively to the work of the Arctic Council and other relevant international fora.

Ilulissat, 28 May 2008。