In an exchange of responses at the 70th UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Philippines reiterated its call on China to settle the disputes in the South China Sea peacefully through arbitration.
The Philippines once again invited China “to join the deliberations of the arbitral tribunal and to let the merits be decided upon on the basis of international law and with transparency rather than by recourse to coercion and intimidations.”
“With the growing support from the international community in peacefully resolving disputes in the South China Sea, including through arbitration, the Philippines believes that the final outcome of this arbitration process would pave the way for a settlement of the maritime disputes,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said in his address to the UNGA.
He added that Manila hopes to finally see actions that are consistent with Beijing’s declarations so that genuine efforts to lower tensions in the South China Sea can succeed and the peaceful settlement of disputes can be obtained.
In reply to the Secretary’s statement, the Chinese delegation said it wants a peaceful settlement in accordance with international law but insisted on direct negotiations and consultations. China emphasized that its claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea are based on historical and legal foundations.
The Philippine delegation, for its part, stressed that “given that the South China Sea is an international waterway, the stronger the reason to settle any disputes thereof at an international level, under international law, including arbitration under Annex VII of UNCLOS.”
The Philippines has maintained the position that the core issue in the South China Sea is the claim of indisputable sovereignty of China, as represented by the nine-dash line, over almost the entire South China Sea, which has no basis under international law. “We cannot, moreover, accept China’s illegal actions on its artificial islands as fait accompli,” the Secretary added.
“The world cannot allow a country, no matter how powerful, to claim an entire sea as its own nor should it allow coercion to be an acceptable dispute settlement mechanism,” Secretary Del Rosario concluded./Department of Foreign Affairs
