World China tells Philippines it won’t recognize ruling on sea row
Associated Press 14 hours agoBEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Philippine counterpart that Beijing will not recognize an international arbitration ruling that has invalidated most of China’s claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, the Philippine leader’s spokesman said.
The row over the disputed waters — a major global shipping route thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves — has for years marred China’s relationship with the Philippines and other neighboring countries with rival territorial claims. Beijing has transformed a string of disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has largely avoided the subject in favor of seeking warmer ties with Beijing. But under domestic pressure, Duterte raised the issue in talks with Xi in Beijing this week, Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement Friday.
Duterte told Xi that the 2016 ruling of an international arbitration panel in The Hague, in which China had refused to participate, “is final, binding and not subject to appeal.”
“In response, President Xi reiterated his government’s position of not recognizing the arbitral ruling as well as not budging from its position,” Panelo said.
“Both President Duterte and President Xi agreed that while their variant positions will have to remain, their differences however need not derail nor diminish the amity between the two countries,” he added.
He said that Duterte raised the possible joint exploration of resources between the Philippines and China, and both leaders agreed on the importance of self-restraint and respect of freedom of navigation.
Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana asked Beijing earlier this month to explain the activities of Chinese research vessels and warships in what the Philippines claims as its waters, and accused China of “bullying.”
Lorenzana said China did not ask for permission to send several warships through the Sibutu Strait at the southern tip of the Philippine archipelago on four occasions between February and July. He said two Chinese research ships have also been operating in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Meanwhile, Philippine military spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo accused China of “duplicity,” saying the Chinese warships shut off their identification transponders while passing through Philippine waters to avoid radar detection.
President Xi rejects Hague ruling invalidating China’s claim over West PH Sea
Coconuts Manila,Coconuts Manila Thu, Aug 29 7:18 PM PDT
President Xi Jinping yesterday rejected the 2016 Hague ruling which invalidated China’s claims over the West Philippine Sea, despite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s insistence that it was “final, binding and not subject to appeal.”
Duterte raised the issue during his fifth visit to China, the first time he has ever done so since he was elected president in 2016. Prior to this meeting, Duterte has been reluctant to bring up the ruling, which has led many Filipinos to believe that he had been kowtowing to the Asian superpower.
Read: Duterte to visit Beijing next week amid South China Sea tensions
In the two leaders’ bilateral meeting in Beijing yesterday, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement that, while Xi and Duterte hold contrary positionsover the West Philippine Sea issue, “their differences need not derail nor diminish the amity between the two countries. They shared the view that the contentious issue is not the sum total of the Philippines-Chinese bilateral relationship.”
While Xi refuses to abide by the Hague ruling, he agreed that both parties should create a code of conduct that would help resolve conflicts that may occur in the area. He also proposed that a committee be created to prepare a “substantive program” on the possible joint gas exploration between China and the Philippines within the West Philippine Sea.
Read: China, Philippines proceed with joint sea exploration talks
Earlier this month, Duterte said that he doesn’t mind sharing the West Philippine Sea’s gas resources with China as long as the Philippines gets a bigger share of the profits,reported ABS-CBN News.
The subject of the June Recto Bank boat sinking incident also came up during the two president’s meeting, with Duterte expressing “appreciation of China’s readiness to provide compensation to our fishermen who almost lost their lives,” Panelo said.
Read: Unnamed owner of unnamed Chinese vessel apologizes via association for Recto Bank incident: DFA
It was on Wednesday, the first day of Duterte’s China visit, when the unidentified owner of the Chinese fishing boat that sank and abandoned a Filipino-owned vessel finally apologized for the incident. In a statement that appeared on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Twitter account, the owner of the Chinese vessel said he was willing to compensate the Filipinos who had been left to fend for themselves in the water when the Chinese ship fled the area.
Duterte will fly back to the Philippines on Sept. 2. Aside from meeting Xi, he has also spent some time cozying up to action superstar Jacky Chan who even posed with him and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go showing the signature Duterte fist bump.
This article, President Xi rejects Hague ruling invalidating China’s claim over West PH Sea, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia’s leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
