The statement was the strongest response from the Philippines to Tuesday’s verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague declaring that China’s claims to the resource-rich and strategically vital South China Sea had no legal basis.
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The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling.
Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay says he will discuss at the Asia-Europe summit starting this week “the need for parties to respect the recent decision of the arbitral tribunal”.
It will also be the first meeting in which the new Philippine government of President Rodrigo Duterte will be represented on the world stage.
The Philippines’ unilateral initiation of arbitration on the South China Sea dispute risks undermining the peace and stability of ASEAN, a Chinese expert has said.
A lengthy white paper titled “China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea” was released to “clarify the facts and tell the truth” vis-a-vis the Chinese-Filipino dispute.
Staff hang up copies of maps dating from the Qing Dynasty purporting to back up China’s claims to vast parts of the South China Sea, in Hong Kong Thursday, July.
China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there.
Li repeated China’s stance that the South China Sea issue should be solved bilaterally “on the basis of historical facts and in accordance with global law”, state news agency Xinhua said.
It also raises serious doubts on China’s sincerity towards its much touted policy of neighbourhood diplomacy with the declared objective to ensure that China’s neighbours take advantage of the country’s economic and technological advancements to achieve win-win reciprocity, enhance regional cooperation, as well as work together to establish the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road Belt to enhance interconnectivity.
The ruling is expected to further increase tensions in the region, where China’s increased military assertiveness has spread concern among its smaller neighbours and is a point of confrontation with the US.
“Despite the opposition of Vietnam and concerns by the worldwide community, those actions conducted by China have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty and are unlawful and can not change the fact about Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes”, Binh told reporters, referring to the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea.
In a statement, Aquino lauded the historic ruling on the case lodged by the Philippines against China in 2013, as he expressed elation that all points raised by the Philippines have been affirmed.
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Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects.
