Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua in July said China’s door for bilateral consultation and negotiations will be open forever.
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Forbes called for allied navies to join in more cruises challenging China’s moves to stake out territorial claims.
The PCA’s assumption of jurisdiction comes amid growing tensions between China and the USA, after a US Navy ship breached the Chinese-imposed 12-nautical mile limit around artificial islands it has built on reefs in the Spratlys.
In justifying the USS Lassen’s patrolling, the Pentagon insisted that the USA regularly carries out freedom of navigation operations around the world to counter “excessive maritime claims”.
The verdict by the global tribunal will bolster the strategies of United States which has undoubtedly failed to curb China from asserting control over 80 per cent of the South China Sea.
American defence officials said their warship had sailed in the disputed area and was followed at a safe distance by a Chinese ship.
But the protocols have no enforcement mechanisms and contain loopholes, military experts say.
The Philippines and China are among the 117 member nations of the UN tribunal which was established in the Netherlands in 1899 to encourage peaceful resolution of disputes between countries, organisations and private individuals.
However, refusing to appear in court would damage China’s image and make it appear China was defying worldwide rules and bullying smaller nations, said Zhang Mingliang, a researcher at Jinan University.
But China was quick to declare that it would not abide by the ruling. First the US sent a warship, in its most direct challenge yet to Beijing’s artificial island building. “There is no effect outlined in the agreement for violating its terms”, she said. They’ve been very public about planning to use the USA military to enforce their maritime claims against China, and the United States has done nothing to dissuade them from this course of action. CUES also refers to events “at sea”.
China’s defense ministry declined to comment on the issue on Thursday.
“Such risky and provocative acts have threatened China’s sovereignty and security and harmed regional peace and stability”, Admiral Wu Shengli of the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy told his U.S. counterpart Admiral John Richardson.Wu warned that China will “have to take all necessary measures to safeguard sovereignty and security” if the United States persists going its own way and ignoring China’s concern.
“I hope the U.S. side cherishes the good situation between the Chinese and USA navies that has not come easily and avoids these kinds of incidents from happening again”, Mr Wu said.
China, the Philippines and four other governments have overlapping claims across the vast South China Sea, with Beijing claiming it has sovereignty over virtually all of the waters.
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Now, in relation to US patrols in the disputed areas, Batongbacal said that the tribunal’s decision is a step closer to giving the action legitimacy. The last time that the US forces maneuvered within 12 nautical miles of reefs effectively controlled by China was in 2012.
