Jun 24, 2026

The Philippine side recently hyped up the so-called South China Sea arbitration issue again, as its foreign affairs department issued a "rejection" of China's position and certain individuals criticized the Chinese Embassy. The embassy had reiterated that the arbitration was a political farce disguised in legal clothing, and that the so-called award is illegal, null and void. A Chinese expert said the so-called award is nothing more than a piece of waste paper, while some groups in the Philippines are using the 10-year timing of the ruling to garner attention and pursue personal interests. Such moves do nothing to benefit bilateral ties or ease tensions in the South China Sea, experts said.

A report from the Philippine Star on Wednesday claimed that the Department of Foreign Affairs rejected a recent statement of the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday posted a statement on X, stating that the embassy rejects the so-called South China Sea Arbitration which was a political manipulation disguised in legal garb. The arbitral tribunal distorted and abused the dispute-settlement mechanisms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fabricated China's positions, wrongly determined facts, and incorrectly interpreted and applied the law. Its award is illegal, null and void, the embassy said. 

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202606/1364331.shtml