The Tribunal's Award in the "South China Sea Arbitration" Initiated by the Philippines Is Null and Void
2016-06-11 00:08:47 source:CSIL
June 10, 2016
"Since 22 January 2013 when the Philippines unilaterally initiated arbitration with respect to certain issues in the South China Sea ('Arbitration'), China has maintained its solemn position that it would neither accept nor participate in the Arbitration, having stated that the tribunal constituted at the unilateral request of the Philippines ('Arbitral Tribunal' or 'Tribunal') manifestly has no jurisdiction. On 7 December 2014, the Chinese Government released the Position Paper of the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Matter of Jurisdiction in the South China Sea Arbitration Initiated by the Republic of the Philippines ('Position Paper'), which elaborated on these positions. The Chinese Society of International Law strongly supports the positions of the Chinese Government.
China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and the adjacent waters. The core of the disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is issues of territorial sovereignty resulting from the Philippines' illegal seizure and occupation of certain maritime features from China in the Nash Islands, and issues concerning maritime delimitation between the two States. These are also exactly the essence of the Arbitration instituted by the Philippines."
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