He said Wednesday that he hoped the ruling would now be used “to create a positive momentum in finding a solution to the dispute in the South China Sea”.
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Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, even waters approaching neighbouring countries, as its sovereign territory, basing its arguments on Chinese maps dating back to the 1940s marked with a so-called nine-dash-line.
“This treaty, the Law of the Sea, codifies pre-existing worldwide custom”. Liu admitted the ruling has caused some disturbances in China’s relationship with the Asean but it won’t be seriously hampered.
It is the strongest statement yet from the Philippines on the ruling.
China has overlapping claims with other countries to reefs and islands across nearly all of the South China Sea.
Liu said China’s sovereignty claims are unaffected by the ruling.
Such negotiations could help prevent threats of war.
About $5 trillion of trade occurs in the South China Sea annually.
But some Filipinos also expressed fear. China wants to resolve the dispute individually with the five claimants – Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei – without allowing a third party like an United Nations tribunal to have a say.
“It is official, the West Philippine Sea is ours and ours alone”.
Liu was speaking at the launch of a government white paper on the issue.
When asked about the Arbitral Tribunal’s case’s ruling on Tuesday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “The UN doesn’t have a position on the legal and procedural merits” of the South China Sea arbitration case. “We have stood up against the bullying and garnered support in the process”, France said. But more damaging to China’s aspirations as a great power is its outright rejection of worldwide laws.
She’s warned China’s reputation would suffer if it ignored the decision, insisting friendly relations with the global community were crucial to its rise.
The Philippines has been backed by the US, UK, France, Japan and others.
The Yinchuan destroyer, which is about 150 metres in length with a 20-metre beam, is equipped with advanced weapon system and can conduct aerial defence, anti-submarine operations and anti-sea missions making it one of China’s most sophisticated vessels.
Kong Lingjie is deputy dean of China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies at Wuhan University.
But tell that to the government of Nicaragua. This is not the first time allegations have been flung at the U.S.by China.
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The decision, brought by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, was welcomed in Manila but Beijing’s reaction was anger and rejection, claiming that it “neither accepts nor recognizes” the ruling. In 1992, Nicaragua withdrew its complaints. But the US blocked enforcement of the judgment. Mario Ritter was the editor.
