Members of a resupply mission approach the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, one of the nine outposts guarding the West Philippine Sea, to replenish supplies for its troops. (蜜桃工作室 FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday once again aired its claim over Ayungin Shoal, saying that the territory was never once owned by the Philippines.
In a strongly-worded statement, the ministry said Ayungin Shoal, which it called Ren鈥檃i Jiao, was 鈥渃ompletely beyond the limits鈥� of Philippine territory.
鈥淭he Philippines has no legal basis at all to claim sovereignty over Ren鈥檃i Jiao on the grounds of its comparative proximity to Philippine territory,鈥� it said, saying that Philippine territory was defined by a series of international treaties.
The historic ruling of the in The Hague in 2016 favored the Philippines in its claims in the West Philippine Sea.
But China continues to claim its sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea which sits well within the Philippines鈥� exclusive economic zone.
In its statement, the ministry addressed the arbitral ruling, saying: 鈥淭he arbitration initiated by the Philippines directly concerns the issues of territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. Territorial issues are not subject to [the] United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Besides, in 2006, pursuant to Article 298 of UNCLOS, China excluded issues relating to sea boundary delimitations from the jurisdiction of a court or tribunal.
鈥淏y unilaterally initiating the South China Sea arbitration, the Philippines contravened the stipulations of UNCLOS. The Arbitral Tribunal violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires and rendered an award in disregard of the law. Such an award is illegal, null and void, and completely invalid.鈥�
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Meanwhile, the statement also covered the Philippines鈥� grounding of BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.
This act, the statement said, violates China鈥檚 territorial sovereignty. It also accused the Philippine government of 鈥済oing back on its words,鈥� as it supposedly 鈥減romised鈥� to tow away the vessel several times.
The Philippines has denied that it made any such promise. So it continues its resupply missions to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre.
The ministry statement also criticized the resupply missions, saying: 鈥淔or some time, the Philippines, ignoring China鈥檚 goodwill and sincerity, has kept sending official vessels and warships to forcibly intrude into the adjacent waters of Ren鈥檃i Jiao in an attempt to send construction materials for repairing and reinforcing the grounded military vessel on a large scale in order to permanently occupy Ren鈥檃i Jiao.鈥�
Recently, China urged the Philippines to 鈥渟top making provocations and creating troubles at sea and stop groundless attacks and smears.鈥�
China vowed to 鈥渄o what is necessary鈥� to safeguard its 鈥渢erritorial sovereignty鈥� and 鈥渕aritime rights.鈥�