Beijing: China on Sunday denounced the US, the UK and 12 other nations for reaffirming their support for the 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating its claims over South China Sea, saying that they blatantly endorsed the illegal “award.”
China’s sovereignty and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in the law, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.
“China’s activities in the South China Sea are fully legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. China's rights in the South China Sea can by no means be denied by the makeshift 'arbitral tribunal',” it said.
“In rendering the 'award', the 'arbitral tribunal' exceeded its authority and abused its jurisdiction. The 'award' is naturally illegal, null and void, and has no binding force”, it said, adding that “China neither accepts nor recognises the 'award', and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it”.
A five-judge tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), based in The Hague, adjudicating on the petition filed by the Philippines in 2016, struck down Beijing’s claims of historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’.
China claims most of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.
Dismissing China's claims over the 90 per cent South China Sea based on historic rights, the Tribunal concluded that China's claims were incompatible with the exclusive economic zones provided for in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Earlier on Sunday, a 14-nation coalition led by the United States and the Philippines issued a joint statement reaffirming their “unwavering commitment” to a rules-based, free and open Indo-Pacific, marking a decade since an international tribunal at The Hague invalidated most of Beijing’s South China Sea claims.
Other signatories to the statement included the US allies such as Japan, Australia and Britain.
The 14-nation statement described the 2016 award decision as a “significant milestone” that was “final, legally binding, and definitive”.
It added that there was no legal basis for Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims, including those based on historic rights.
“We reaffirm our strong opposition to the use of coastguard, military and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by other states at sea or in the air, and in so doing endanger the safety of personnel and fishermen and seriously degrade regional peace and security,” the South China Morning Post quoted the statement.
In its reaction, China’s foreign ministry also said the 14-nation statement mischaracterises Japan as a “legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it”.
“Japan is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to pass judgment on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea”, it said.