This was reflected in a Chinese white paper published immediately after the ruling on July 13 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal, which Chong said which made “some room for negotiation” on issues relating to territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Advertisement
An arbitral tribunal last week issued the award on the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government and the US expected both China and the Philippines to comply with their obligations under it.
However, within a day of the ruling, China landed a civilian aircraft on Mischief Reef – a tiny bit of land in the Spratly Islands that was found to belong entirely to the Philippines.
China has begun air patrols over contested waters in the South China Sea and cut off access to part of the region for military drills.
“Of course, in light of the ruling, this is rubbing salt in the Philippines’ wound”, Poling added.
“The company is already operating “Stream of the South Asia Sea, a brand new cruise ship”, Sanya International Cruise” chairman Liu Junli said, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.
The DFA said Yasay will also have bilateral meetings with several counterparts on the sidelines of Asean meetings to discuss issues affecting bilateral relations and common concerns on global and regional issues.
Mentioning the court’s conclusion that no features claimed by China in the East Sea can create an exclusive economic zone, the expert described China’s construction of man-made islands in sea as a vain attempt.
The Hague Tribunal also finds no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the nine-dash line.
Advertisement
In short, China’s legal standing for its actions in the South China Sea, within the context of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), were minimal.
