H. Res. 714 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
December 3, 2014. 
Whereas the maritime domains of the Asia-Pacific region, 
which include both the sea and airspace above the do-
mains, are critical to the region’s prosperity, stability, 
and security, including global commerce; 
Whereas the maritime domain in the Asia-Pacific region be-
tween the Pacific and Indian Oceans includes critical sea 
lines of commerce and communication; 
Whereas China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, 
and Brunei have disputed territorial claims over the 
Spratly Islands, and China, Taiwan, and Vietnam have 
disputed territorial claims over the Paracel Islands; 
Whereas, although the United States Government is not a 
claimant in maritime disputes in either the East China 
or South China Seas, the United States has an interest 
in the peaceful diplomatic resolution of disputed claims in 
accordance with international law, in freedom of naviga-
tion and overflight, and in the free-flow of commerce free 
of coercion, intimidation, or the use of force; 
Whereas in 2002, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
(ASEAN) and China agreed to the Declaration on the 
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and com-
mitted to developing an effective Code of Conduct;
•HRES 714 EH 
Whereas that declaration committed all parties to those terri-
torial disputes to ‘‘reaffirm their respect for and commit-
ment to the freedom of navigation in and over flight 
above the South China Sea as provided for by the univer-
sally recognized principles of international law’’, and to 
‘‘resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by 
peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of 
force’’; 
Whereas since that time, tensions over the disputed maritime 
and territorial areas have increased; 
Whereas on September 2010, tensions escalated in the East 
China Sea near the Senkaku (Diaoyutai) Islands, a terri-
tory under the legal administration of Japan, when a 
Chinese fishing vessel deliberately rammed Japanese 
Coast Guard patrol boats; 
Whereas on February 25, 2011, a frigate from the People’s 
Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fired shots at three fish-
ing boats from the Philippines; 
Whereas on March 2, 2011, the Government of the Phil-
ippines reported that two patrol boats from China at-
tempted to ram one of its surveillance ships; 
Whereas on May 26, 2011, a maritime security vessel from 
China cut the cables of an exploration ship from Viet-
nam, the Binh Minh, in the South China Sea in waters 
near Cam Ranh Bay in the exclusive economic zone of 
Vietnam; 
Whereas on May 31, 2011, three Chinese military vessels 
used guns to threaten the crews of four Vietnamese fish-
ing boats while they were fishing in the waters of the 
Spratly Islands;
•HRES 714 EH 
Whereas on June 9, 2011, three vessels from China, includ-
ing one fishing vessel and two maritime security vessels, 
ran into and disabled the cables of another exploration 
ship from Vietnam, the Viking 2, in the exclusive eco-
nomic zone of Vietnam; 
Whereas on July 22, 2011, an Indian naval vessel, sailing 
about 45 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam, was 
warned by a Chinese naval vessel that it was allegedly 
violating Chinese territorial waters; 
Whereas in April 2012, tensions escalated between the Phil-
ippines and China following a standoff over the Scar-
borough Shoal; 
Whereas in June 2012, Vietnam passed a Maritime law that 
claimed sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Paracel and 
Spratly Islands; 
Whereas in June 2012, China’s cabinet, the State Council, 
approved the establishment of the city of Sansha to over-
see the areas claimed by China in the South China Sea; 
Whereas in July 2012, Chinese military authorities an-
nounced that they had established a corresponding Peo-
ple’s Liberation Army garrison in Sansha, in the new 
prefecture; 
Whereas on June 23, 2012, the China National Offshore Oil 
Corporation invited bids for oil exploration in areas with-
in 200 nautical miles of the continental shelf and within 
the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam; 
Whereas in January 2013, a Chinese naval ship allegedly 
fixed its weapons-targeting radar on Japanese vessels in 
the vicinity of the Senkaku islands in the East China 
Sea, and, on April 23, 2013, eight Chinese marine sur-
veillance ships entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial