Philippines’ South China Sea arbitration win ‘non negotiable’, top diplomat says

Name: The South China Sea dispute explained
Uploaded: 2020-07-12T11:54:44.000Z
Duration: 3 min 23 s
Description: The South China Sea dispute explained

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr made the remarks on Sunday while commemorating the fourth anniversary of the decision

He also called on China to comply with the court’s award, which he called a victory for the Philippines and other law-abiding nations

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An aerial view of Fiery Cross Reef, occupied and controlled by China as Yongshu Reef, but also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam. Photo: People's Daily

Associated Press

Published: 7:54pm, 12 Jul 2020Updated: 11:15pm, 13 Jul 2020

The Philippines on Sunday renewed its call for compliance with a 2016 court victory that invalidated China’s vast claims in most of the disputed South China Sea.

“The award is non-negotiable,” Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr said on the fourth anniversary of the ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague that he said “conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea” based on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“The tribunal authoritatively ruled that China’s claim of historic rights to resources within the sea … had no basis in law,” he said in a statement.

It is the strongest statement the Philippines has issued so far in marking the milestone. China has dismissed the decision as a “sham” and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings after the administration of Philippines’ president at the time, Benigno Aquino III, challenged in 2013 China’s claims to virtually the entire disputed waters.

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The South China Sea dispute explained

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Manila on Monday said that the tribunal’s ruling in favour of the Philippines is “illegal and invalid”.

“China’s position is consistent, clear and firm,” the embassy said in a tweet, which was later deleted.