It will also serve as important precedent, and I hope will encourage other claimants to pursue arbitration in their South China Sea disputes instead of unilateral military action.
Advertisement
The Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) had weighed whether to speak out on Tuesday’s ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, said South-east Asian diplomats with knowledge of the matter.
The PCA’s ruling also stressed that China has violated its duty to respect the traditional fishing rights of Philippine fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, affirming that China’s acts make its disputes with the Philippines in the sea more serious.
The UN-backed tribunal also said that any “historic rights” to resources in the waters of the South China Sea were “extinguished” when China signed up to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “They are paid, probably, by Philippines”, he said.
“China’s lack of participation in the process and outright rejection of the ruling, even before it was made, is particularly concerning”.
An global tribunal ruled on Tuesday against China’s claims that it had “historical rights” in the South China Sea.
The Philippines and China, Yasay said, have agreed to avoid taking provocative actions that might scuttle chances of holding talks following the decision. If newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte leans toward a pro-Beijing line on the promise of economic assistance, it could undermine the bloc’s unity.
On Wednesday, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said that Beijing would be within its rights to set up an air defence zone in the sea.
Staff hang up copies of maps dating from the Qing Dynasty purporting to back up China’s claims to vast parts of the South China Sea, in Hong Kong Thursday, July.
Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay “will discuss within the context of Asem’s agenda the Philippines’ peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision”, said the Foreign Affairs Department.
While introducing a policy paper in response to the ruling, Liu said the islands in the South China Sea were China’s “inherent territory” and blamed the Philippines for stirring up trouble.
The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Mr Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino. If Beijing is serious about its status as a great power, it should reach a negotiated settlement of its disputes in the South China Sea.
While the Philippines and Vietnam have been particularly critical of China, Laos and Cambodia have been generally regarded as preferring to side with their giant neighbour and benefactor.
Advertisement
The lawmaker said that while Taiwan and China’s arguments over territorial claims seem similar, the foundations and reasons are different.
