The Hague ruling on the South China Sea dispute favoring the Philippines on July 12, 2016 has provoked a strong reaction from China.
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China has reacted angrily and vehemently to what Japan has said about the ruling.
As expected the South China Sea row between the Philippines and China was a key issue at the meeting despite China’s efforts not to have it discussed at all.
The closing statement said leaders reaffirmed a commitment to promote maritime security, safety and cooperation, freedom of navigation and overflight and to refrain from using threatening force.
“It’s not so easy to agree with our Chinese partners when it comes to this issue”, he said.
The chair’s statement omitted reference to specific territorial issues or a U.N.-backed tribunal’s recent ruling that rejected China’s long-standing position on the disputed sea, mainly due to Beijing’s persistent opposition, according to senior officials with knowledge of the situation. But speaking with one European voice has become hard as some smaller governments, including Hungary and Greece, rely on Chinese investment and are unwilling to criticise Beijing despite its militarisation of South China Sea islands.
Mainland China’s external affairs agency and Taiwan Affairs Office late Tuesday both made the call for Taiwan “to join hands with China in safeguarding the sovereignty of the South China Sea islands and the rights in the surrounding waters”, saying that all these “have been the traditional assets of the Chinese people”. Nations would not want to take sides now, after China’s expansive sea claim was declared invalid and the Philippines had part of its 200-mile exclusive economic zone and maritime entitlements defined.
Manila has pledged not to “taunt or flaunt” the verdict, but its foreign minister Perfecto Yasay told the summit it “strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision”, calling for “all parties to exercise restraint and sobriety”.
Chinese officials did not speak to foreign reporters during the summit.
In a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc Thursday, Li said the South China Sea issue should be solved through bilateral negotiations between relevant parties in line with historical facts, global law and the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). “Countries should work more closely to fight terrorism, and build societies that are truly open and tolerant so to root out the soil where it grows”, said Li. “The West always starts with teaching”.
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But if indeed Ramos has turned down the offer, Abella said, “There are other ways of doing it – diplomatic channels”. The tribunal also criticized China for damaging the environment of coral reefs and for not preventing its fishermen from killing protected species such as sea turtles.
