Asia

Filipino official launches book on China's sea claims online

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Philippine Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio holds a hard copy of his e-book titled "The South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Sovereign Rights and Jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea" that questions China's historic claim to most of the South China Sea Thursday, May 4, 2017 in the financial district of Makati city, East of Manila, Philippines. Carpio said he will distribute it online to try to overcome China's censorship and reach its people. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Philippine Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio addresses guests during the launching of his e-book titled "The South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Sovereign Rights and Jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea" that questions China's historic claim to most of the South China Sea Thursday, May 4, 2017 in the financial district of Makati city east of Manila, Philippines. Carpio said he will distribute it online to try to overcome China's censorship and reach its people. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

From left, Philippine Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Mel Velasco Velarde and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario unveil the original copy of the 1734 Murillo-Velarde Map which shows the disputed Spratlys group of islands and the Scarborough Shoal during the launching of his e-book titled "The South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Sovereign Rights and Jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea" in the financial district of Makati city east of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, May 4, 2017. A Philippine Supreme Court justice launched a book on Thursday that questions China's historic claims to most of the South China Sea and said he will distribute it online to try to overcome China's censorship and reach its people. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

A Philippine Supreme Court justice has launched a book that is highly critical of China's historic claims to most of the South China Sea and said he will spread it through the Internet to overcome China's censorship and reach its people.

Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio said Thursday his e-book can be downloaded for free in English and will be made available online later in Mandarin, Vietnamese, Japanese, Bahasa and Spanish to help more people understand the basis of the Philippines' stand against China's massive territorial claims.

Carpio said public opinion, including in China, can help pressure Beijing to comply with an arbitration ruling last year that invalidated China's historic claims based on a 1982 maritime treaty. Carpio helped prepare the arbitration case.