South China Sea dispute: Philippines asks China to comply with 2016 arbitral ruling

Reminding China of the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling against its expansive claims, the Philippines on July 14 asked People’s Republic to refrain from extending its reach in the South China Sea and “honour” the verdict. Abound in energy resources and vital shipping lanes, the disputed territorial water claims have risen tensions between China and Southeast Island nation after the US accused China’s occupation of key strategic points ebbed with resources as “illegal”.  

In an official statement with renewed calls for compliance, the Philippines dismissed China’s expansive claims in the disputed South China Sea “without any possibility of compromise.” China has long rejected judgment by the international tribunal and continued belligerence and coercion on the island nations that led to territorial spats with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. However, in a display of the strongest objection ever to China’s foreign invasion, the Philippines warned China about militarising, island-building, and naval patrols in the South China Sea. The two nations have long been contentious over claims to Paracels and the Spratlys islands which are extrapolated with vast mineral wealth.  

We urge China to comply with the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, and abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (Unclos) to which it is a signatory, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

Further, Lorenzana added, China’s exercises in the waters near the Paracel Islands were “highly provocative” and were a violation of sovereignty. According to a June 27 announcement by the Hainan’s Maritime Safety Administration, China conducted five days of military drills near the Paracels as it claimed jurisdiction over 80 percent water leading to objection from Hanoi and Manila at an Asean summit last week.

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America stands with our Southeast Asian allies

Lorenzana’s comments came hours after the US issued a statement, saying, “America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law.” Further, it said, “China’s claims have no basis in international law.” In a separate statement, Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said, “In a unanimous decision on July 12, 2016, an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention – to which the PRC is a state party – rejected the PRC’s maritime claims as having no basis in international law.”

The Tribunal sided squarely with the Philippines, which brought the arbitration case, on almost all claims, Pompeo reminded.  

In 2016, The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that there was no evidence that China has exclusive control over the waters or resources in the South China Sea. Further, the tribunal ruling asserted that China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights and caused "severe harm to the coral reef environment" by building artificial islands, according to reports. However, China had dismissed the ruling as "ill-founded" and said People’s Republic would not be bound by it. 

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(Images: AP)