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Beijing ‘will not accept arbitration court’s S China Sea solution’

BEIJING — China yesterday rejected an invitation by The Hague to provide input for an arbitration case with the Philippines on overlapping claims in the South China Sea, with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing a sharp rebuke.

An aerial file photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines May 11, 2015. Photo: Reuters

An aerial file photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines May 11, 2015. Photo: Reuters

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BEIJING — China yesterday rejected an invitation by The Hague to provide input for an arbitration case with the Philippines on overlapping claims in the South China Sea, with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing a sharp rebuke.

“China has repeatedly expounded its position of not accepting or getting involved in these proceedings initiated unilaterally by the Philippines,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website.

“On the issue of territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, China will never accept any imposed plan nor any solution arrived at by unilaterally resorting to a third party for resolving disputes.”

Beijing said it preferred to negotiate with Manila directly, stressing that the tribunal, which operates under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in The Hague, had no jurisdiction over their dispute.

The spokesperson laid the blame for the tension in the South China Sea on the Philippines, saying it had illegally occupied Chinese islands there since the 1970s.

“Despite being the victim of the South China Sea disputes, China remains highly restrained and keeps safeguarding regional peace and stability in mind,” Ms Hua added.

The Philippines claims several reefs in the South China Sea as exclusive economic zones under UNCLOS, which would allow them to fish and exploit resources in the waters. But China also claims the reefs as part of its territory.

Manila filed its arbitration case at The Hague in early 2013, but China has refused to be involved in the proceedings, saying the tribunal does not have jurisdiction over the dispute.

The tribunal held a week-long hearing that ended on Monday to address China’s contention over jurisdiction. It has invited Beijing to provide input on the hearing by Aug 17, and that it should make a ruling on the issue this year.

The Philippines praised the tribunal’s effort to prod China again to join the case, saying the five-man arbitration body had been fair and transparent in its handling of Manila’s complaints against Beijing.

“We have asked China to participate and we continue to extend the invitation for them to explain their side,” said Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose.

Ms Hua added in her statement that China’s stance was based on international law and had been clearly stated in the position paper published by the Foreign Ministry in December in response to the arbitration. In the position paper, Beijing argued that the dispute was not covered by UNCLOS because it was ultimately a matter of sovereignty, not exploitation rights.

There are overlapping claims by China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan in the resource-rich South China Sea.

The Philippines navy is quietly reinforcing the hull and deck of a rusting ship, BRP Sierra Madre, that it ran aground on a disputed reef in 1999 so as to stop it from breaking apart, determined to hold the shoal as Beijing creates a string of man-made islands nearby.

China has been creating new territories in the disputed waters, raising concerns that it might curtail freedom of navigation, while satellite imagery of an airstrip that can accommodate most Chinese military aircraft as well as artillery weapons have sparked fears of militarisation in the region. AGENCIES

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