Beijing states its case in South China Sea dispute with Philippines

From Want China Times (Jun 30): Beijing states its case in South China Sea dispute with Philippines

A still from the documentary Kalayaan: Pamanang Karagatan on the South China Sea dispute made by the Philippine government. (Internet photo)

 

China is seriously concerned over the Philippine government's ballyhooing over the South China Sea issue, whipping up feelings of conflict between the people of the two countries, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Monday.

China has noticed a documentary about the South China Sea and related reports in the Philippines, Hua said in a press release.

The Philippine foreign ministry, presidential press office and press bureau jointly made a three-episode documentary film in the country's official language Tagalog, in which it accused China of infringing on Philippine territories and pillaging resources that belong to the Philippines.

Spokespersons of the Philippine foreign ministry, defense department and armed forces all said the film aimed to raise public awareness of the importance of territories in the South China Sea and to unite the whole country behind the government on resolving the disputes.

China expressed strong dissatisfaction over the documentary's unreasonable and unfounded accusations, ignoring facts and calling white black, Hua said.

"The Chinese side also expresses serious concern over the practice of the incumbent Philippine government in making a fanfare about the South China Sea issue and instigating conflict between the Chinese and Filipino people," Hua said.

She said the Philippine side had attempted to win sympathy by creating a false "victim" image of itself by misleading statements and lies. History, she said, cannot be overwritten nor facts fabricated.

"It is the Philippines' expansionist policy and blatant infringement of China's sovereignty and interests that has given rise to these disputes," Hua said.

She pointed out that the islands in the South China Seas belong to China. She said China was the first to name and develop these islands, and the first to hold sovereign jurisdiction over the islands.

"This is proven by adequate historical and legal evidence," Hua said.

She said Japan occupied the islands during its aggression war against China. The Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, on which the post-war international order is founded, demanded Japan return the territories it stole from China. After World War II, the Chinese government took back the islands in the South China Sea.

"The root of the China-Philippines dispute on South China Sea lies in the illegal territorial claims the Philippine side made on part of the Nansha (Spratly) Islands and its occupation of some of the islands," Hua said.

The legal documents determining the territorial scope of the Philippines, including the Paris Treaty and Washington Treaty signed between the United States and Spain in 1898 and 1900, and the Treaty between the United States and Britain signed in 1930, have all excluded China's Nansha Islands and Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal) from Philippine territories. For a long time, the law of the Philippines, including the constitution, has confirmed the stipulations on Philippine territories that these treaties made, Hua said.

She said after the end of the World War II, especially after the beginning of the Cold War, the Philippines began to covet the Nansha Islands. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has used force to occupy eight of the islands one by one, including Mahuan Island, Feixin Island, Zhongye Island, Beizi Island, Nanyao Island, Xiyue Island, Shuanghuang Shoal and Siling Reef, all of which are known by different names to the Philippines and in English.

"China has always firmly opposed the illegal occupation by the Philippine side and repeatedly and sternly demanded they withdraw all personnel and facilities from the islands of China," Hua said.

The Philippines has sought to occupy Ren'ai Reef (Second Thomas Shoal) and Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal). In May 1995, the Philippine landing ship Sierra Madre was deliberately run aground on Second Thomas Shoal, upon which China immediately lodged representations and protest. The ship remains to this day, a rotting hull garrisoned by a detachment of troops.

The Philippine side has promised to tow away the grounded warship, saying it will not be the first country to violate the the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). "But now the Philippines has not only broken its promise by not towing away the ship but has attempted to build facilities there and occupy the reef," Hua said.

Hua cited the Philippine's military's harassment of Chinese fishing boats and persons in the seas off Scarborough Shoal in 2012. "The Chinese government had to take necessary and proper measures in response to the illegal seizure of Chinese territory," Hua said.

The Philippine side also improperly criticized China's dotted line on the South China Sea, Hua said, stressing the line, announced by the Chinese government in 1948, reiterates China's sovereignty and related rights.

China has repeatedly expressed its position of "not accepting or getting involved in" the so-called arbitration the Philippine side filed on the China South Sea disputes in January 2013, Hua said.

Hua stressed China and the Philippines are neighbors and this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-Philippine ties.

"Facts show that China and the Philippines have been long-term good friends and neighbors. The two countries should have been able to settle the South China Sea issue through friendly negotiation," Hua said.

She reaffirmed China's adherence to the path of peaceful development, saying China is committed to settling the disputes through negotiations and working with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries to implement the DOC in the South China Sea.

China urges the Philippine government to take into account the overall picture of China-Philippine relations and regional peace and stability and follow the tide of peace, development and cooperation and the joint aspiration of the two peoples, Hua said.

She urged the Philippine government to stop provoking relations between the two peoples and end their irresponsible acts and deeds, return to the correct track of settling disputes through negotiations and work with China to safeguard peace between the two peoples and maintain regional peace and stability.

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