China slams Philippines hyping up maritime situation

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s recent remarks aimed to amplify the Philippine's wrongful position on issues concerning the South China Sea and deliberately distort and hype up the maritime situation.

Marcos had claimed that both the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea affirmed his country's legal right, and that their policy in the South China Sea was built upon these two touchstones.

In response, China slammed the arbitral award as illegal, null and void. Without the Chinese government's prior consent, the Philippines unilaterally initiated an international arbitration, which violated the international law, including UNCLOS, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), the ministry said.

"The arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration handled the case ultra vires and made an illegitimate ruling. The rendered award is illegal, null and void. China neither accepts nor participates in that arbitration, neither accepts nor recognizes the award, and will never accept any claim or action arising from the award," the ministry said.

The U.S. has played an extremely ignoble role by supporting and assisting the Philippines in infringing on China's sovereignty, and by exploiting the South China Sea issue to drive a wedge between China and other regional countries, it said.

China will continue to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, while committing to resolving sea-related conflicts and differences through negotiations and consultations with the countries directly concerned on the basis of respect for historical facts, the ministry said.

China is ready to continue to work with ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, to manage maritime differences, deepen maritime cooperation and promote peace in the South China Sea, it said.

"We urge the Philippines to honor its commitments, adhere to the limits of its territory established by the international treaties, fully and effectively implement the DOC, stop maritime infringement activities and provocations at once, and return to the right track of handling maritime disputes and differences properly through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible," it added.