China on Sunday criticised a joint statement issued by 14 countries backing the 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected most of Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.
The countries, including the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom, reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
The statement described the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as a “significant milestone”, calling it “final, legally binding and definitive”. It also reiterated that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims based on so-called historic rights.
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Responding to the statement, China’s Foreign Ministry defended its position, saying the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea had evolved over time and were consistent with international law.
“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’,” the ministry said.
The 2016 tribunal ruling, delivered after the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), found that China’s “nine-dash line” claims had no legal basis under international law. Beijing has repeatedly rejected the ruling, maintaining that it neither recognises nor accepts the tribunal’s decision.
“The ‘award’ is naturally illegal, null and void, and has no binding force,” the ministry said, adding that “China neither accepts nor recognises the ‘award’, and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it”.
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s busiest shipping routes and is claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, making it one of Asia’s most contested maritime regions.
The joint statement also criticised the use of coast guard, military and maritime militia vessels to obstruct the lawful activities of other countries in the disputed waters.
“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 statement said.
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China also objected to Japan’s inclusion in the coalition, saying Tokyo was “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.”
The latest exchange underscores continuing tensions between China and several Indo-Pacific nations over competing territorial claims and differing interpretations of international maritime law in the South China Sea.
(WIth PTI inputs.)
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