Singapore urges respect for court ruling on South China Sea

SINGAPORE — Singapore has urged "all parties to fully respect legal and diplomatic processes" following the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines. The court on Tuesday (July 12) ruled that Beijing has no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and that it has breached Manila's sovereign rights with its actions. China has dismissed the case as a farce. This is the Singapore Foreign Ministry's response to the court ruling, in full:

In response to media queries on the ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal in the Philippines v China case under Annex VII to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the MFA Spokesman said:

1 Singapore has taken note of the Award made by the Arbitral Tribunal convened under Annex VII to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on 12 July 2016 on the case between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. We are studying the Award and its implications on Singapore and the wider region.

2 Singapore is not a claimant state and we do not take sides on the competing territorial claims. However, we support the peaceful resolution of disputes among claimants in accordance with universally-recognised principles of international law, including UNCLOS, without resorting to the threat or use of force. As a small state, we strongly support the maintenance of a rules-based order that upholds and protects the rights and privileges of all states.

3 Singapore values our long-standing and friendly relations with all parties, bilaterally and in the context of ASEAN. We urge all parties to fully respect legal and diplomatic processes, exercise self-restraint and avoid conducting any activities that may raise tensions in the region.

4  Singapore supports the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the expeditious conclusion of a legally-binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.