Beijing to reject Hague ruling on South China Sea case

By: 8 years ago

Environmental activists blow on horns in front of the Chinese Embassy in Makati City during a rally to protest recent moves by China in island-building at the disputed group of islands in the South China Sea. 蜜桃工作室 FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

BEIJING 鈥� Beijing will reject any ruling by an international tribunal in a contentious case brought by the Philippines over the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said, as tensions mount over the disputed waters.

The United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) said Wednesday it will rule on July 12 in a closely watched case challenging China鈥檚 claims to much of the strategic waterway.

搁贰础顿:听The Hague arbitral court to rule on sea disputes July 12

Beijing has consistently rejected the tribunal鈥檚 right to hear the case and has taken no part in the proceedings, mounting a diplomatic and propaganda drive to try to undermine its authority.

鈥淲ith regard to territorial issues and maritime delimitation disputes, China does not accept any means of third party dispute settlement or any solution imposed on China,鈥� foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement on its website.

The tribunal was 鈥渆stablished on the basis of illegal conduct and claims of the Philippines鈥� and 鈥渉as no jurisdiction over the relevant matters,鈥� he said.

At a regular briefing on Thursday he added that by bringing the case to the arbitration court, the Philippines 鈥渄isregards China鈥檚 choice to resolving disputes in ways of its own choosing.鈥�

The Philippines insisted both it and China were required to follow the tribunal鈥檚 ruling.

鈥淒espite its non-appearance, China is and remains a party to the arbitration and is bound under international law by an award rendered by the tribunal,鈥� Manila鈥檚 foreign ministry said in a statement.

鈥淭he Philippines believes that the rule of law prescribes a just and peaceful means of resolving differences, which is why the Philippines will fully respect the tribunal鈥檚 award.鈥�

Manila lodged the suit against Beijing in early 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues to settle the dispute.

Spanning more than three years, two hearings and nearly 4,000 pages of evidence, the arbitration case in The Hague is extremely complex.

China claims most of the sea, even waters approaching neighboring countries, based on a vaguely defined 鈥渘ine-dash鈥� Chinese map dating back to the 1940s.聽

In recent years Beijing has rapidly built up reefs and outcrops into artificial islands with facilities capable of military use.

As well as the Philippines, several other littoral states have competing claims, and the dispute has also embroiled the United States, which has defence treaties with several allies in the region.

鈥淚 hereby once again emphasize that the Arbitral Tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case and the relevant subject matter, and that it should not have heard the case,鈥� Hong said in the statement, released late Wednesday.