China hits PH 'smear job' during ASEAN meet

From ABS-CBN (Jul 17): China hits PH 'smear job' during ASEAN meet

A Chinese official on Tuesday scored the Philippines for refusing to resolve a territorial dispute through bilateral means and for seeking international arbitration to resolve the conflict.

In a statement, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said Beijing stays committed to solving the territorial dispute through bilateral negotiations "in accordance with relevant regulations of international law and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea."

"We regret that the Philippines stated that it has become impossible to continue bilateral discussions with China, and are dissatisfied with its refusal to diplomatic negotiation and closure of the door to dialogue. We are firmly opposed to the Philippines' indifference to China's lawful rights and interests and legitimate concerns as well as its willful act of pushing for international arbitration," Hua said.

Hua said China and the Philippines earlier reached a consensus to resolve bilateral disputes through negotiation. The official noted that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company signed an agreement for joint marine seismic undertaking on certain areas of the South China Sea, which later included Vietnam.

"However, it is regrettable that over recent years, the Philippines has changed its attitude and approach in handling the issue, gone back on its consensus with China, broken its commitment in the DOC, cast aside the framework of dialogue upheld by a majority of countries, refused to cooperate, aggravated the situation and set off the incident of the Huangyan Island by harassing Chinese civilians with warships, casting a shadow over China-Philippine relations and peace and stability of the South China Sea," Hua said.

The official noted that the Philippines "publicly criticized China during the recently held ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings, regardless of the consensus among ASEAN countries, and thus was reasonably refuted by China."

"It is difficult for China to understand how could the Philippines continue to play up the issue of the South China Sea, distort the facts and smear China."

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario earlier accused China of increased militarization in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), saying Beijing’s tactics were a threat to peace in the region.

Del Rosario issued a statement after a People’s Daily report warned of a “counterstrike” if the Philippines continued to provoke China in the West Philippine Sea.

Del Rosario has said China’s position to settle the dispute on a bilateral basis is not correct because there are at least four other ASEAN claimants to the various areas of the South China Sea, “and so we believe that a multilateral approach is the way to do this.”

China lays claim to nearly the entire South China Sea and the islands that are also being claimed by Japan in the East China Sea.

The area, delineated by the so-called nine-dash line of China, covers over 100 islets, atolls and reefs.

The Philippine claim in the Spratly Islands covers eight islands and reefs.

Aside from the Philippines and China, the Spratlys is also being claimed in whole or in part by Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/17/13/china-hits-ph-smear-job-during-asean-meet