Philippines to back China’s candidate at World Court

Manila’s foreign affairs secretary ordered the country’s UN mission to vote for Chinese judge Xue Hanqin

The instruction may be part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to improve ties with Beijing

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International Court of Justice judge Xue Hanqin. Photo: ICJ

Published: 4:23pm, 8 Nov 2020Updated: 4:50pm, 8 Nov 2020

The Philippines’ foreign minister ordered the country’s mission to the United Nations on Sunday to vote for China’s candidate to fill one of the five seats at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that will become vacant next year.

“You are instructed to cast the Philippine vote for the Chinese candidate to the international court of justice. That is your only clear instruction,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter without elaborating.

Four of the eight candidates contesting the five positions are incumbent judges whose nine-year terms are due to expire on February 5 year. One of the four is Chinese judge Xue Hanqin, who is also the vice-president of the ICJ, also known as the World Court.

The ICJ, the highest United Nations court for inter-state disputes, is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Judges are eligible for re-election.

A United Nations document dated June 29, 2020 showed the Philippines nominated another candidate, Japanese Judge Yuji Iwasawa, but not Xue.

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