Baghdad – IA
China has expressed strong opposition to the Philippine Senate’s approval of the Maritime Zones Law and has lodged a solemn formal protest with the Philippines, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Mao Ning’s statements came in response to an inquiry in this regard during a regular press conference.
Mao said that China has followed relevant developments, adding that the Philippine Senate’s passage of the “Maritime Zones Law” is an attempt to strengthen the enforcement of the illegal arbitration award regarding the South China Sea area through domestic legislation and include China’s Huangyan Dao Island and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Qiondao Islands. China and its neighboring waters in these maritime areas, which severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
The spokeswoman confirmed that “China strongly opposes this and has lodged a solemn formal protest with the Philippines.”
Mao reiterated China’s position as follows:
First, China has sovereignty over Nansha Qiondao and Zhongsha Qiandao, including Huangyan Dao, and their adjacent waters, as well as sovereignty and jurisdiction over the relevant waters.
The spokeswoman continued by saying that China’s above-mentioned sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea exist over a long history, are firmly rooted in history and law, and are consistent with the United Nations Charter and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Secondly, the territory of the Philippines is defined by a series of international treaties, and the Chinese Huangyan Dao and other islands and reefs of Nansha Qiondao are completely outside the borders of the Philippine territory. The Philippines’ illegal occupation of Mahuan Dao, Feishin Dao, Zhongye Dao, Nanyao Dao, Betsi Dao, Xue Dao, Shuanghuang Shazhou and Siling Jiao in Nansha Qiondao of China is a flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations.
The spokeswoman noted that the Philippines arbitrarily exceeded its territorial scope to establish the so-called “Calayan Island Group,” which violates China’s territorial sovereignty, adding that this is illegal, null and void.
Third, without prior approval from the Chinese government, the Philippines unilaterally initiated an international arbitration process, which violated international law, including UNCLOS. The South China Sea Arbitration Court handled the case beyond its authority and issued an illegal ruling.
“The ruling is unlawful, null and void. China does not accept, does not participate in, does not accept or recognize that arbitration, and will never accept any claim or action arising from the ruling,” Mao explained, adding that China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea You will not be affected by the ruling in any way.
Fourth, territorial sovereignty is the precondition and basis for obtaining maritime rights and interests. Under the pretext of implementing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines introduced the “Maritime Zones Law” legislation in an attempt to put a legal lid on its illegal claims and actions in the South China Sea.
The spokeswoman stressed that such a “law” contravenes the provisions of international law, including the United Nations Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and contradicts the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, adding that this completely shameful act will make the situation in the South China Sea worse. Inevitably more complex.
Fifth, China urges the Philippines to respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in good faith, immediately end any unilateral move that may escalate the dispute and complicate the situation, and return to the right track of appropriately resolving disputes through negotiations and consultation as soon as possible, and work with China to support In the larger interests of bilateral relations and maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Source: CGTN Arabic
2024-03-11 04:58:03