BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that the decision of the South China Sea arbitration will not affect its territorial integrity or maritime rights in the South China Sea.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei reiterated at a routine press briefing that China would neither accept nor recognize any award in the South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines.
China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and the adjacent waters, said Hong.
The Chinese Government has consistently and actively maintained its sovereignty over the islands, he said.
Both the Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea of 1958 and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of 1992 expressly provide that the territory of China includes, among others, the Dongsha Islands, the Xisha Islands, the Zhongsha Islands and the Nansha Islands.
Under the relevant provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS), as well as the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone (1992) and the Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the People's Republic of China (1998), China's Nansha Islands is fully entitled to Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf, according to Hong.
All those acts affirm China's territorial sovereignty and relevant maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, he said.
Hong emphasized China's historical rights in the South China Sea are supported by historical and jurisprudential evidence.
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Philippines' refusal of dialogue and its unilateral initiation of the arbitration violated the spirit of international rule of law and distorted UNCLOS, which are not conducive to the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He said the Philippines will further stoke tensions in the South China Sea and should be resisted by countries and people who uphold justice.
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BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has said that it will issue an award on July 12 on the South China Sea case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines.
China has said that it does not accept and will not participate in the arbitration, and will never recognize the so-called "award," as it is illegal, null and void.H On the South China Sea disputes, China advocates a "dual-track" approach, namely peacefully and properly handling the disputes left from history through direct talks between the parties involved and jointly maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Full story
Commentary: U.S. needs to readjust attitude regardingSouth China Seaissue
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea used to be a peaceful region before theUnited Statespoked its nose into the area. Instead of its "Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific" strategy, what the United States really needs is to "rebalance" its attitude toward the issue.
Small frictions in the South China Sea date back to the late 1960s when some American scientists reported the discovery of rich gas and petrol resources in the region. Some coastal countries started to occupy the islands for that reason since then.Full story
China reaffirms adherence to peaceful settlement of South China Sea disputes
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday reaffirmed its adherence to dialogue and consultation in settling the South China Sea issue.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei made the remarks at a routine press briefing in response to a question on whether a military confrontation is possible in the South China Sea. Full story
China committed to solving maritime disputes via dialogue with countries directly concerned: premier
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China is committed to solving maritime disputes through dialogue and negotiation with countries directly concerned in line with international laws and on the basis of respecting historical facts, Premier Li Keqiang said Monday.
Li made the remarks at a China-Greece maritime cooperation forum held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Li and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras attended the forum and deliver speeches. Full story
Interview: South China Sea dispute suggests U.S. efforts to contain China: Italian expert
ROME, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines suggest the attempt by the United States to contain China's role as regional and global power, an Italian expert said.
"The United States needs China to be economically strong, but it does not want China to develop further as a geopolitical actor," Domenico Moro, an economist and member of the political committee of Italy's Communist Refoundation party, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story
Cambodia, Myanmar back negotiations over South China Sea by all parties concerned
PHNOM PENH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Myanmar fully supported all parties concerned to negotiate with each other peacefully to resolve their disputes over South China Sea, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Monday.
The statement was posted on his Facebook page after a meeting with newly-designated Myanmar Ambassador to Cambodia Myint Soe at the Peace Palace in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. Full story
Spotlight: Arbitration case cannot deplete China's historical rights
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Looking into the Philippines' submission at the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea, many confusing concepts aimed at denying China's historical rights have been found. But they only serve to expose the Philippines' ignorance and prejudice.
In its arbitration statement, the Philippines claimed that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has never mentioned historical rights. Full story
Interview: U.S. has complicated South China Sea issue: Australian expert
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States has complicated the situation in the South China Sea instead of playing a constructive role, an Australian expert on maritime security has said.
Sam Bateman, a former commodore who is now a professorial research fellow at the University of Wollongong's Australian National Center for Ocean Resources and Security, told Xinhua recently that the controversial arbitration process initiated by the Philippines in The Hague is highly likely to produce "a lose-lose outcome." Full story
Spotlight: China never a bully in South China Sea: experts
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- At a time of heightened tension in the South China Sea, Washington and its allies have launched publicity campaigns against China, repeatedly using the "bully" tag to refer to China and its activities in the region.
The groundless accusation, however, has been refuted by experts, who pointed to the fact that China has never bullied any country in South China Sea disputes. Instead, it has exercised restraint to the greatest extent possible over this issue. Full story
147 civil society organizations in Cambodia backs up PM's stance over South China Sea
PHNOM PENH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of 147 non-governmental organizations, associations and trade unions in Cambodia on Monday issued a joint statement, expressing their support to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's stance over the South China Sea issue.
"We all back the stance of the Royal Government of Cambodia for not joining in issuing any statement that supports the arbitral tribunal's decision related to the dispute in the South China Sea," the joint statement said. Full story
