|
Patrol vessel Haixun-21 arrives in Yongxing Island of Sansha City on the SouthChina Sea, south China, April 22, 2015. (Xinhua/Guo Qiuda)
By Fei Liena, Liu Fei
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China will not negotiate with the Philippines on the basis of any ruling in the case of arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against China on South China Sea disputes, regardless of whether it will be "in favor of the Philippines."
The new Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, recently said that Manila is ready to talk to China if the South China Sea arbitration tribunal rules in the Philippines' favor on July 12.
Some western media including Britain's Financial Times also suggested China to start negotiating with the Philippines on the thorny issue on the basis of the arbitration ruling.
However, all these sayings are just a euphemistic suggestion that China should accept the arbitration ruling first then negotiate, which is in direct contradiction to China's stand of neither participating in, nor accepting the arbitration, and neither recognizing, nor honoring the award.
However, that does not necessarily mean China will always close the door of bilateral negotiations with the Philippine government, as since the 1980s, China has always been holding the position of using bilateral talks to resolve disputes, but the upcoming illegal arbitration ruling won't be the precondition or basis for any negotiation.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on June 8 issued a statement reiterating that the door of China-Philippines bilateral negotiations is always open, and "China will remain committed to settling through negotiation the relevant disputes with the Philippines in the South China Sea on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international laws."
Yet there's a precondition to this statement, that is, "on issues concerning territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation, China never accepts any recourse to third party settlement, or any means of dispute settlement that is imposed on it."
China has always been devoted to making the South China Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation with states directly concerned. This has always been China's policy, and it will never change.
According to Zhu Feng, director of the China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea at Nanjing University, in order to create a suitable condition for China and the Philippines to settle the disputes through pragmatic cooperation, the new Duterte government needs to refrain itself from hyping the arbitration ruling, not rely on the ruling as its only basis for settling the disputes, and actively improve bilateral relations.
"The most expected action from the Duterte government on the settlement of the South China Sea disputes would be to drop the case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague," said Zhu.
Related:
China will not be "forced" into accepting South China Sea arbitration decision
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday dismissed the United States plea to accept any decision in the South China Sea arbitration to be announced next week.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to announce its final decision next Tuesday in territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. Full story
Spotlight: Truth about South China Sea should not be misrepresented by Western media
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- On the South China Sea issue, some Western media have spared no efforts to make "news", tapping lies to cover the truth and misguide public opinions thereon, which is considered by experts and scholars to be unfair and misleading.
"Beijing says 60 countries back stance on international tribunal; only 8 have publicly stated support," wrote the Wall Street Journal in a recent article sub-title. Full story
Sri Lanka supports China's stance on South China Sea issue
COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue and supports countries concerned in solving the maritime disputes through negotiation, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Friday.
He made the remarks when meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Full story
Interview: South China Sea arbitration likely to stir more regional tensions: Italian expert
ROME, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The forthcoming arbitration on the South China Sea dispute by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is likely to stir more tensions in the region, said an Italian expert.
"I reckon the judgement of the court will not help the dialogue between the two parties involved, China and the Philippines, but rather worsen the crisis," Domenico Losurdo, a famous Italian historical philosopher and professor at the University of Urbino, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story
Spotlight: U.S. stokes unwanted tensions in South China Sea: Russian experts
MOSCOW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States' activities in the South China Sea are raising tension unacceptable for the countries in the region and may force China to abandon the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Russian experts said.
"The U.S. has always advanced the freedom of navigation issue in the South China Sea pointing to its special role in world trade, but such an approach is misleading," said Vasily Kashin, a senior research fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics (HSE). Full story
African media voice support for China's stance on South China Sea
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China's position on the South China Sea is getting more support from international experts, said several media from African countries while commenting on the unilateral arbitration initiative by the Philippines.
Manila has been unilaterally pressing ahead to bring a maritime dispute with China to an international tribunal since January 2013. Full story
Equatorial Guinean ruling party calls for peaceful solution to South China Sea dispute
MALABO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Jeronimo Osa Osa Ecoro, Secretary General of Equatorial Guinean ruling Democratic Party, on Thursday called for peaceful solution to the South China Sea dispute.
In an interview with Xinhua, Osa insisted that the disputed countries should solve their dispute through dialogues and negotiations. Full story
PARIS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Arbitration by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) following the unilateral application of the Philippines over its dispute with China in the South China Sea "would endanger the peace and stability" in the region, said French sinologue Pierre Picquart.
"What seems questionable is a so-called 'international arbitration,' unrecognized by China, trying to impose a settlement between Beijing and Manila," Picquart told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story
PNG says respecting China's position on South China Sea
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea (PNG) said on Thursday that it respected China's position on the South China Sea issue and supported direct consultation between parties concerned.
PNG upholds that maritime disputes should be peacefully resolved by parties directly concerned through consultation and negotiation in accordance with international law, according to a joint press release between China and the PNG, issued after the meeting between President Xi Jinping and visiting PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill at the Great Hall of the People. Full story
