President Donald Tusk said that he hopes the ruling on the lawsuit filed by the Philippines against China’s nine-dash line claim in the East Sea, issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), will be a positive moment in resolving outstanding issues in the disputed waters. The court ruled unanimously that China has no historical rights to landmasses or territorial waters in the region and noted the severe environmental damage caused by Chinese reclamation activities.
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China’s claims to the waters have resulted over the years in frequent military brushes between Beijing and its Asian neighbors-the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan-which circle the waters that are believed to hold untapped oil and gas reserves, certainly a major factor in the dispute.
The five judges who ruled in the case “made money from the Philippines”, Liu said, adding “and maybe other people gave them money too”.
President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China is committed to resolving disputes through direct negotiations, but its national sovereignty and maritime interests will not be influenced under any circumstances by the South China Sea ruling.
The Hague ruling sets out clearly the rights and obligations of the various parties involved in the quarrel, with the Philippines clearly the victor.
The #Chexit hashtag has gone viral on various social media sites and became a worldwide trend on Twitter. USA challenged those claims by ordering a warship into waters near the artificial islands.
4 of 5 tribunal panelists picked by Japan: China In Beijing’s view, rejecting the ruling amounts to upholding the global law because it believes the tribunal went out of his scope and powers in judging the case.
Liu urged other countries not to “take the opportunity to threaten China”, and called on other countries to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Indonesia, which is turning against China amid the latter’s maritime expansion, issued a statement through its foreign ministry urging all parties “to respect worldwide law”.
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015.
The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to call on China to respect the ruling.
The Mischief and Subi reefs are also claimed by the Philippines.
China justifies its sovereignty over the sea – outlined in a vague map – by claiming it was the first country to discover, name and exploit it.
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It initially welcomed the ruling as a “milestone decision”, but without outright celebration.
