Source: The Daily Tribune
Hua Chunying
China criticized the Aquino administration yesterday for unilaterally shutting the door for negotiation and consultation over the territorial disputes on South China Sea while “it is keen on attacking China in international settings, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said such practice of the Aquino administration in bringing the dispute to the international stage “is anything but helpful to solve the issue.”
“China urges the Philippine side to change its wrong course, stop misleading public opinion and come back to the right track of solving the dispute through bilateral negotiation and consultation,” Hua said.
Hua issued the statement in response to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s criticism of China on the South China Sea issue during his address to an experts’ roundtable in Belgium.
Del Rosario said the Philippines had exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful settlement of the territorial dispute with China and its last resort was to bring the issue for international arbitration.
Hua said, however, that China stays committed to solving territorial and maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation.
“China has repeatedly made clear its position on the Philippines’ taking of the South China Sea issue to international arbitration. China’s rejection of the Philippines’ request for arbitration has a solid basis in international law,” Hua said.
He added Del Rosario’s claim that “it had exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful settlement of the dispute” is completely not true. China has repeatedly suggested to the Philippines that the two sides could resume the existing consultation mechanism or establish new ones.”
“But we have not yet got any response from the Philippine side. The Philippines is keen on attacking China in international settings while unilaterally shutting the door for negotiation and consultation,” Hua said.
The Aquino administration, meanwhile, continues to harp on every statement issued out of the White House on China’s posturing over the South China Sea conflict.
“The recent statement of US President Barack Obama warning China to refrain from using force or intimidation to resolve the maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea is consistent with the Philippine government’s position,” a Palace official said.
Meeting Chinese officials in Washington this week, Obama warned China on using force against its neighbors and urged it to adopt a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
Deputy Presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said she can’t predict how Obama’s statement will influence other countries in settling the dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
But since the country brought the issue to international arbitration, Valte said there are a number of countries and institutions that have expressed support for the Philippine position.
“In the sense that we’ve taken it, we’ve gone through diplomatic channels, we’ve gone through the correct venue for the settlement of disputes such as this, and we’ve always advocated for a peaceful resolution,” she said.
“So we’ve received widespread support on the position that the country has chosen to take.”
The Philippine government has maintained that any maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea should be resolved under a rules-based regime of the international law.
The Philippines and Vietnam charged that China has used assertive means to exert claims in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines said it is contemplating on the possibility of allowing its allies, particularly the US, to use its military base on a temporary and rotational basis to bolster its defense capability against Chinese intrusion.
While saying it’s not taking sides, the US has said since 2010 that its national interest is ensuring freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea.
While saying it’s not taking sides, the US has said since 2010 that its national interest is ensuring freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea.
Considering the ongoing tensions, the US has boosted military cooperation with Japan and the Philippines as well as with former war adversary Vietnam. PNA
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