Image by Desmond Wee via The Straits Times- China has warned of ‘negative consequences’ if the Philippines wins the arbitration case
- A ranking Chinese official insisted the maritime dispute should be resolved through bilateral negotiations
- At least two Singaporean diplomats, however, questioned China’s seeking consensus with three other Asean members to support its stand in the West Philippine Sea issue
SINGAPORE – A ranking Chinese official has warned of ‘negative consequences’ if the international court in The Hague, Netherlands eventually ruled in favor of the Philippines in the arbitration case filed by the latter against China over maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
Speaking before reporters at the 11th ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin reiterated any arbitration case goes against the DOC which was signed by China and the 10-member Asean nations back in 2002.
“The arbitration is not by an international court, it’s an arbitration brought unilaterally by the Philippine government against China but China took the decision not to participate in proceedings,” the Chinese official pointed out.
The Philippines has taken China to the arbitration court to question the latter’s self-imposed ‘nine-dash line’ territorial boundary which effectively encroaches into the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of its surrounding neighbors.
The court is expected to release its decision in early May and is widely-anticipated to rule in favor of the Philippines.
China has refused to participate in the proceedings; maintaining that the court lacks jurisdiction over the maritime dispute which it said should be resolved through bilateral negotiations between the two rivals.
Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also had overlapping claims to the contested waterways which is believed to be rich in natural gas and where about $ 5-T worth of trading goods passes through every year.
In the same forum, Singaporean diplomats also accused China of trying to drive a wedge between Asean nations by claiming it had the support of at least three of its members – Brunei, Laos and Cambodia – in the consensus that the maritime disputes were “not an issue between China and Asean as a whole”.
Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large and former Asean secretary-general Ong Keng Yong slammed China’s move as akin to meddling in the group’s internal affairs.
A policy adviser to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bilahari Kausikan, also accused China of seeking to divide Asean in anticipation of the Philippines’ winning the arbitration case.
But Mr. Liu said each Asean state has its own sovereign rights and China has no intention to divide the 10-member group.
“China has always supported the development of Asean and recognized that Asean’s growth is also important to East Asia,” Liu stressed.
Post a Comment