PHL arbitration case a ‘political provocation under the cloak of law,’ says China

From GMA News (Nov 26): PHL arbitration case a ‘political provocation under the cloak of law,’ says China

China has criticized the ongoing hearing by an international court on the Philippines’ arbitration case that seeks to denigrate its claim in the South China Sea, calling it a provocation under the guise of law.

Emphasizing its firm stance on the issue, China, which asserts “indisputable” sovereignty over most of the resource-rich waters despite growing international concern, stressed that it will not accept any decision that will be handed down by tribunal.

“The Philippines' unilateral initiation and obstinate pushing forward of the South China Sea arbitration is a political provocation under the cloak of law,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

“It is in essence not an effort to settle disputes but an attempt to negate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,” Hong added.

The hearing in The Hague, Netherlands by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began on Tuesday and is expected to end on Nov. 30, was attended by top Philippine officials and their legal counsels to try to convince the five-man panel of judges to rule that China’s massive sea claim is illegal and a violation of international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.

In its complaint, Manila has accused China of incursions in its territorial waters and preventing it from exercising its right to manage, explore and exploit the waters within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone as allowed by the UNCLOS.

Hong reiterated Beijing’s position that the court does not have the authority to hear Manila’s case, insisting the subject matter of the arbitration involves “territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation”—issues they say are outside its jurisdiction.

However, the court has debunked China's stance and ruled that it will proceed to tackle the merits of the Philippine case.

A final decision, the court added, is expected sometime in 2016.

Disregarding the tribunal’s decision to proceed with the hearing, China said it will “not accept any solution imposed on it or any unilateral resort to a third-party dispute settlement.”

“The Philippines' attempt to negate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea through arbitral proceeding will lead to nothing,” Hong said.

Besides China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also locked in the years-long territorial squabble over the waters, a major trading route where vast oil, natural gas and mineral deposits have been discovered in several offshore areas.

Analysts warned of a military conflict if the overlapping claims are left unresolved.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/545842/news/nation/phl-arbitration-case-a-political-provocation-under-the-cloak-of-law-says-china