“Though China is large, we can not lose one centimetre of inheritance left by the ancestors”, said Yang who is the State Councillor, a rank higher than Foreign Minister, while commenting on the ongoing row over the verdict delivered by an worldwide arbitral tribunal which quashed Beijing’s claims of historic rights over the South China Sea. “The DOC has helped maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea over the past years”.
Advertisement
She said instead of settling disputes, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling would aggravate tension between China and the Philippines and the USA, and fuel tensions in the region.
Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop spoke, in a manner quite harsh, about the global court ruling on South China Sea.
China warned other countries Wednesday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an worldwide tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there. “There will be more incentives for them to engage in negotiation on joint development cooperation or management in the newly defined overlapping areas”, the expert said, adding that there was also a better chance for the states to work towards better management of the disputes. The Philippines shall continue to engage concerned parties to finding ways to reduce regional tensions and to build greater trust and confidence.
Lu was referring to countries including the United States and Japan that pressed China to accept the ruling.
Beijing says it does not recognize the decision.
Ramos, one of Duterte’s main backers, cautioned he may not be able to heed the president’s request.
“I hope you put this (arbitral) decision in the wastepaper basket or on the bookshelf or filing cabinet and keep it there”, Liu said. “But I can do the job, however, I have bigger commitments in terms of peace in the world and sustainable development”. That is a setback for Beijing and vindication for the other claimants Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia.
A 2012 standoff at Scarborough Shoal between Chinese and the Philippine vessels prompted Manila to launch the arbitration case by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. China’s insistence on its claims becomes clear against this backdrop, as does its marshalling of history and discovery since the Second Century.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Thursday that if anyone challenged China’s interests with provocative actions, “China will surely make a resolute response”.
Advertisement
Binh reiterated that Vietnam has all “legal basis and historical evidences” to affirm its sovereignty over both chains.
