The Supreme People’s Court issued a judicial interpretation on Monday specifying standards for convicting and punishing those engaged in illegal fishing or entry into Chinese territorial waters and refusing to obey commands to leave.
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It also upheld the Philippines’ rights over the area claimed by Manila.
An arbitration court in the Hague ruled last month that China had no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and that it had breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights with various actions in the sea, infuriating Beijing, which dismissed the case. “Our consistent policy is to settle disputes through peaceful means in accordance with national laws and United Nations (conventions and laws), and we attach quite (a lot of) importance to bilateral negotiations”, he said.
China claims territory in the South China Sea that belongs to the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, and the waters off Indonesia’s Natuna Island.
The explanation provides clear legal basis for China to safeguard maritime order, marine safety and interests, and to exercise integrated management over the country’s jurisdictional seas, it quoted a statement by Supreme People’s Court (SPC) as saying.
While others have expressed concern over the new provisions, China remains firmly convinced the new regulations will “promote judicial assistance and global cooperation on maritime affairs”.
China has been building a series of man-made islands in the resource-rich South China Sea in a bid to claim large tracts for fishing and oil exploration rights.
Moscow also faces pressure to stay on good terms with Beijing as the two sides deepen their security cooperation, which included joint drills in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and Sea of Japan in 2015.
China is also angry with Japan over Tokyo joining the USA and Australia in calling for the implementation of the last month’s worldwide tribunal verdict on the disputed South China Sea quashing China’s expansive claims over the area. The report, approved Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, by the Cabinet, comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government pushes for Japan to take on greater military roles overseas.
China risks triggering unintended conflict with Asian rivals through its aggressive stance in maritime disputes, Japan warned yesterday in an annual security assessment.
“What we want to remind Japan is that freedom of navigation has never been a problem in the South China Sea, while interference by Japan and other non-regional countries jeopardizes peace and stability in the region”, Wu said.
Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin added: “Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war”.
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On the South China Sea issue, Wu said Japan was attempting to cause trouble for its own benefit.
