China’s ties with key SE Asian nations and Japan appear to be worsening over Beijing’s aggressive policy to claim territories with scant regard for international law.
The Philippines on Sunday publicly called on China to comply with the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated its massive claim over the resource-rich South China Sea, four years since the decision was handed down by an international court in The Hague, Netherlands.
"Compliance in good faith with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) to which both parties are signatories," Foreign Secretary (Foreign Minister) Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a statement.
"The Philippines, as a law-abiding, peace-loving and responsible member of the international community, reaffirms on this occasion its adherence to the award and its enforcement without any possibility of compromise or change. The award is non-negotiable."
"The Tribunal authoritatively ruled that China’s claim of historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’ had no basis in law. Rather, claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction that exceed the geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS, are without legal effect," Locsin said.
He stressed that the arbitration award "conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea."
"The arbitration case initiated and overwhelmingly won by the Republic of the Philippines versus the People’s Republic of China is a contribution of great significance and consequence to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea and to the peace and stability of the region at large," Locsin said.
Ruling in favor of the Philippines, the tribunal declared China’s claim as illegal and having no basis under international law. Beijing has ignored and belittled the ruling.
He also called the award "a milestone in the corpus of international law, the cornerstone of a rules-based regional and international order."
The ruling, he added, "represents a victory, not just for the Philippines, but for the entire community of consistently law-abiding nations."
"We commemorate the issuance of the award as a celebration of the rule of law as a means to settle disputes amicably, achieve peace, advance a rules-based and equitable international order, foster cooperation among friendly, responsible and civilized nations and clearly mark out who would be in the wrong to insist on claims contrary to this award,'" Locsin said.
Meanwhile the government said in a report on Tuesday that the Chinese coastguard and navy ships intruded into Malaysian waters in the disputed South China Sea 89 times between 2016 to 2019, and often remained in the area even after being turned away by the Malaysian navy.
Malaysia has sent six diplomatic protests to China over encroachment in its waters, including one in 2017 in response to a Chinese note asserting its claim to the South Luconia Shoals, a fishing ground off the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the National Audit Department said in the report.
“The reason for the ... appearances was to assert China’s presence with regards to its claims on the South China Sea, particularly in the area of the South Luconia Shoals,” the department said.
This year, a Chinese research ship spent a month surveying in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, amid a standoff with a Malaysian oil exploration vessel near disputed waters.
Japan's annual defence review has accused China of pushing its territorial claims amid the coronavirus pandemic and suspects Beijing of spreading propaganda and disinformation as it provides medical aid to nations fighting COVID-19.
China "is continuing to attempt to alter the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea," Japan said in the defence white paper approved by the Abe government on Tuesday.
The white paper described "relentless" intrusions in waters around a group of islets claimed by both nations in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
In the South China Sea, it said Beijing was asserting territorial claims by establishing administrative districts around disputed islands, that forced countries distracted by the coronavirus outbreak to respond.
"Compliance in good faith with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) to which both parties are signatories," Foreign Secretary (Foreign Minister) Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a statement.
"The Philippines, as a law-abiding, peace-loving and responsible member of the international community, reaffirms on this occasion its adherence to the award and its enforcement without any possibility of compromise or change. The award is non-negotiable."
"The Tribunal authoritatively ruled that China’s claim of historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’ had no basis in law. Rather, claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction that exceed the geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS, are without legal effect," Locsin said.
He stressed that the arbitration award "conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea."
"The arbitration case initiated and overwhelmingly won by the Republic of the Philippines versus the People’s Republic of China is a contribution of great significance and consequence to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea and to the peace and stability of the region at large," Locsin said.
Ruling in favor of the Philippines, the tribunal declared China’s claim as illegal and having no basis under international law. Beijing has ignored and belittled the ruling.
He also called the award "a milestone in the corpus of international law, the cornerstone of a rules-based regional and international order."
The ruling, he added, "represents a victory, not just for the Philippines, but for the entire community of consistently law-abiding nations."
"We commemorate the issuance of the award as a celebration of the rule of law as a means to settle disputes amicably, achieve peace, advance a rules-based and equitable international order, foster cooperation among friendly, responsible and civilized nations and clearly mark out who would be in the wrong to insist on claims contrary to this award,'" Locsin said.
Meanwhile the government said in a report on Tuesday that the Chinese coastguard and navy ships intruded into Malaysian waters in the disputed South China Sea 89 times between 2016 to 2019, and often remained in the area even after being turned away by the Malaysian navy.
Malaysia has sent six diplomatic protests to China over encroachment in its waters, including one in 2017 in response to a Chinese note asserting its claim to the South Luconia Shoals, a fishing ground off the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the National Audit Department said in the report.
“The reason for the ... appearances was to assert China’s presence with regards to its claims on the South China Sea, particularly in the area of the South Luconia Shoals,” the department said.
This year, a Chinese research ship spent a month surveying in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, amid a standoff with a Malaysian oil exploration vessel near disputed waters.
Japan's annual defence review has accused China of pushing its territorial claims amid the coronavirus pandemic and suspects Beijing of spreading propaganda and disinformation as it provides medical aid to nations fighting COVID-19.
China "is continuing to attempt to alter the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea," Japan said in the defence white paper approved by the Abe government on Tuesday.
The white paper described "relentless" intrusions in waters around a group of islets claimed by both nations in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
In the South China Sea, it said Beijing was asserting territorial claims by establishing administrative districts around disputed islands, that forced countries distracted by the coronavirus outbreak to respond.
