Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop urged all South China Sea claimants to resolve their disputes peacefully, saying Canberra would keep exercising its global rights to freedom of navigation and overflight, and support the right of others to do the same.
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The Philippine officials from the various government agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Justice Department and the Office of the Solicitor General should be recognized for their “dedication, expertise, and professionalism… that led to the efficient and effective handling” of the case that led to the favorable ruling of the PCA, Biazon said.
“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.
“Honestly speaking, I’m a bit shocked at Bishop’s comments”, Lu said.
China warned other countries Wednesday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an global tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there.
But US officials warned that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains “somewhat of an unknown quantity”, according to Reuters.
“We hope that Australia can set more store by global law, and not treat it as a game”, Lu added, repeating that China respected freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with worldwide law.
The Philippines has been careful not to irk China and has refrained from any celebratory words.
“War… Is not an option”.
On the award issued Tuesday by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Li said China has been very clear on its stance of not recognizing or accepting the award. “Peaceful talk”, Duterte said.
Mr Ramos was in the audience, but did not quickly respond to Mr Duterte’s overture. “Because we have indemnified ourselves allied with Western power”, he said.
China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually.
Li made the remarks while meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
China claims nearly all of the resource-rich South China Sea, even over territory also claimed by the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
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Pro-Beijing protesters shout slogans against the United States supporting an global court ruling of the South China Sea outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Thursday, July 14, 2016.
