IV 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 714 
Reaffirming the peaceful and collaborative resolution of maritime and jurisdic-
tional disputes in the South China Sea and the East China Sea as 
provided for by universally recognized principles of international law, 
and reaffirming the strong support of the United States Government 
for freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of sea 
and airspace in the Asia-Pacific region. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA (for himself, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ROS- 
LEHTINEN, and Ms. BORDALLO) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Reaffirming the peaceful and collaborative resolution of mari-
time and jurisdictional disputes in the South China Sea 
and the East China Sea as provided for by universally 
recognized principles of international law, and reaffirm-
ing the strong support of the United States Government 
for freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful 
uses of sea and airspace in the Asia-Pacific region. 
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; 
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•HRES 714 IH 
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 committed to developing an effec-
tive Code of Conduct; 
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 
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•HRES 714 IH 
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; 
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; 
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•HRES 714 IH 
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 
Sansha garrison 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 
zone off the Senkaku Islands, further escalating regional 
tensions; 
Whereas on May 9, 2013, a fatal shooting incident occurred 
in which shots fired from a Philippine Coast Guard pa-
trol boat resulted in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman; 
Whereas on May 1, 2014, China’s state-owned energy com-
pany, CNOOC, anchored its deepwater drilling rig Hai 
Yang Shi You 981 (HD–981) in Vietnamese waters and 
deployed over 80 vessels, including seven military vessels, 
to support its provocative actions and attempt to change 
the status quo by force; 
Whereas Chinese vessels accompanying Hai Yang Shi You 
981 (HD–981) intimidated Vietnamese Coast Guard 
ships in violation of the Convention on the International 
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, ramming 
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