Source: The Daily Tribune
BEIJING — China yesterday slammed the Philippines for challenging its territorial claims over the South China Sea through international arbitration, refusing to back down just a week before a deadline to respond in the case.
The Philippines infuriated China in March by filing a formal plea with a United Nations tribunal challenging Beijing’s maritime claims.
The tribunal gave Beijing until December 15 to reply, but China reaffirmed yesterday that it would not submit to arbitration to resolve the dispute, which has heightened tensions.
“By initiating compulsory arbitration at this moment, the Philippines is running counter to the common wish and joint efforts of China and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states,” the government said in a lengthy position paper.
“Its underlying goal is not… to seek peaceful settlement of the South China Sea issue, but rather, by resorting to arbitration, to put political pressure on China,” said the paper published by the official Xinhua news agency.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea — which is home to crucial shipping lanes, vast fishing areas and potentially valuable mineral resources — including areas close to the coastlines of other nations.
Its claims conflict with those of Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam as well as the Philippines.
It has been accused of becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claims to the sea.
China has long rejected arbitration, insisting on resolving territorial disputes bilaterally.
“The unilateral initiation of the arbitration by the Philippines will not change the history and fact of China’s sovereignty over the South China Sea… nor will it shake China’s resolve to safeguard its… interests,” the government paper said.
The Philippine government has reserved comment on the matter.
“We’re studying it and will issue a statement in due course, if warranted and appropriate,” said Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose in a text message.
Manila on March 30, 2014 submitted a 4,000-page legal document, called in international arbitration parlance as the memorial that contained a package of evidence and maps to bolster its case in a bid to declare as illegal China’s sweeping claim over the resource-rich waters.
In its position paper, China said the nature of the Philippines’ case is outside the mandate of the tribunal because it can not rule on territorial disputes or maritime delineation.
But the Philippines said it is not asking the court to grant ownership of the disputed territories but is merely seeking “clarification” of China’s claim of “indisputable sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea.”
China noted that its rejection or non-participation in the legal proceedings “stand on solid ground in international law” as it pointed out a declaration it signed in 2006 that excludes it from participating in arbitration process concerning maritime delimitation, the ministry said. AFP and PNA
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