China will not stop construction on the islands in strategic South China Sea, a top Chinese admiral on Monday said, dismissing the pressure from Washington following an worldwide ruling quashed China’s claim of historic rights over the water body. The Chinese government has categorically stated that worldwide tribunal’s verdict would not affect the country’s claims over the maritime territory. “I think that you can visit China this time at our invitation, that shows both sides attach great concern to maritime security”, Wu told Richardson in brief comments in front of reporters. “We really covered the entire spectrum of our relationship – from those areas where our cooperation and collaboration is doing very well, such as participation in RIMPAC, areas such as port visits, areas such as use of the CUES arrangement to regulate our encounters at sea and keep them safe and professional”, Richardson said in an audio statement distributed by the Navy.
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Perfecto Yasay said he had met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of a summit of Asian and European leaders on the weekend and after raising the topic of last week’s ruling, it became clear that was a no-go area.
A tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration acting on a petition from the Philippines quashed China’s claim of historic rights on the South Chinas Sea last week and upheld Manila’s claims over the islands.
In the days following the ruling, Beijing landed two civilian aircraft on new airstrips on disputed Mischief and Subi reefs and dispatched its coast guard to block Philippine fishing boats from a contested shoal.
Wu vowed that China will never give up its efforts to solve the South China Sea issue peacefully, despite “many negative factors at present”, but also warned that “any attempt to force China to give in through flexing military muscles will only have the opposite effect”.
“This kind of military freedom of navigation is damaging to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and it could even play out in a disastrous way”, said Adm Sun, speaking behind closed doors at a forum in Beijing on Saturday evening though his remarks were reported only yesterday. China’s air force also said on its microblog it had recently carried out “normal battle patrols” over the South China Sea involving bombers, spy planes and flying tankers, including over Scarborough Shoal which is disputed with the Philippines.
Duterte has been more reconciliatory with China compared to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who filed the arbitration complaint against Beijing.
State broadcaster CCTV later reported that Wu reiterated China’s determination to defend all of its territorial claims in the South China Sea and would not permit its interests to be infringed on, a standard position for Chinese officials.
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The tribunal ruled that China violated worldwide maritime law by building up artificial islands in the South China Sea that destroyed coral reefs, and by disrupting fishing and oil exploration. The area will be completely cordoned off during the military drill.
