Remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the Award of the So-called Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration
2016-07-13 08:45:58 source：Chinese Foreign Ministry
July 12, 2016
"Today, an Arbitral Tribunal, put together on a temporary basis, issued a so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration, which was unilaterally initiated by the former government of the Philippines, in an attempt to undermine China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. Responding to such a move, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement, affirming China's staunch position of non-acceptance and non-recognition of the award. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry was also given authorization to issue the Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests in the South China Sea to solemnly reaffirm China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. It is on those bases that I elaborate on China’s proposition as follows.
First, the South China Sea arbitration is completely a political farce staged under legal pretext. Such a nature must be exposed for everyone to see.
Plotted and manipulated by certain forces outside the region, the former government of the Philippines unilaterally initiated the arbitration with no consent of the other party. Such an act ran counter to the agreement previously reached between the two sides to resolve disputes through bilateral negotiation and consultation. It also violated the commitment the Philippines made in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Its purpose is clearly not to seek proper settlement of disputes with China, but to violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and put peace and stability in the South China Sea in jeopardy. The arbitration was conducted according to unwarranted procedure and application of law, and was based on flawed evidence and facts. Such as it is, it will never be accepted by the Chinese people. Nor will it be recognized by anyone in the world who stands on the side of justice."
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