Right after the decision was handed down by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on Tuesday, more and more pieces of information are coming in, exposing more about China’s legal backing on its claim on nearly 90 percent of the vast maritime zone.
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China and the United States had already deployed significant naval firepower in the sea ahead of the verdict.
However, Beijing also sought to reach out to the new Philippine government, saying the country would benefit from cooperation with China.
The tabloid daily said that on the contrary the attitude of the Philippines – which filed the petition against China at the tribunal – is relatively mild as it called for restraint. However, Beijing took a cautious view of India’s statement urging China and other parties in the dispute to show respect for the UN Convention for the Law of the Seas. Beijing reacted angrily, claiming it had historical rights to the sea and rejecting the tribunal’s ruling.
Liu said China’s sovereignty claims are unaffected by the ruling.
Pro-Beijing protesters shout slogans against the United States supporting an worldwide court ruling of the South China Sea outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Thursday, July.
In 2014, during a maritime dispute that caused the biggest breakdown in ties in decades, Vietnam said it was considering legal actions similar to the one the Philippines brought over the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands.
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. Those claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has been carrying out maneuvers near China’s artificial islands, claiming that they are being conducted in the interest of “freedom of navigation”.
Yasay will represent newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte at ASEM. Mr Duterte, who took office on June 30, had said he wanted better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects.
A military build-up in the sea continues. If our security were threatened, of course we have the right.
Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests. China has used deadly force in the past to seize control of territories.
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Beijing: A defiant China on Wednesday successfully tested two new airfields in the disputed islands in the South China Sea, a day after an global tribunal struck down Beijing claims over the area. The reality of worldwide law is that no agency can impose it on sovereign states. Dubbing the tribunal report as a piece of “garbage”, Liu questioned the integrity and independence of its members, saying they offered “paid service”.
