ABSTRACT
In March 2013, the European Parliament adopted its report on EU-China relations, in which it urges China unequivocally to commit itself to observing the UN Charter and international law in the pursuit of its goals abroad. The developmental trend in the South China Sea region moved from maritime cooperation to conflict escalation during the period between July 2011 and April 2012. Also in November 2012, China included a map of its territorial and maritime claims inside its passport. India, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam lodged protests against the Chinese act. Hanoi and Manila interpreted it as a new sign of Beijing's assertive moves in the South China Sea. Taiwan responded by stating that the Republic of China is a free and sovereign state and is not part of the People's Republic of China. In January 2013, Sinomaps Press published the new vertical-format maps of China, which include more than 130 islands and islets in the South China Sea.
