Hague Tribunal rules against Beijing’s South China Sea claims

Protesters display placards during a rally outside of the Chinese Consulate ahead of today's ruling. Pic: AP.

A Chinese vessel, top center, is used to expand structures and land on the Johnson Reef, called Mabini by the Philippines and Chigua by China, at the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Pic: AP.

12th July 2016

CHINA breached the Philippine’s sovereign rights by exploring resources in the South China Sea, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled today.

The tribunal issued its ruling Tuesday in The Hague in response to an arbitration case brought by the Philippines against China.

The panel said that any historic rights to resources that China may have had were wiped out if they are incompatible with exclusive economic zones established under a U.N. treaty.

The tribunal blamed China for causing permanent, irreparable harm to Spratlys’ coral reef eco-system.

The Philippine government welcomed the ruling, with Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay saying in Manila the “milestone decision” was an important contribution to efforts in addressing disputes in the sea.

He said: “The Philippines reiterates its abiding commitment to efforts of pursuing the peaceful resolution and management of disputes with the view of promoting and enhancing peace and stability in the region.”

The Chinese government swiftly rejected an international tribunal’s ruling that China’s claim of much of the South China Sea has no legal basis, saying Beijing does not accept the jurisdiction of the panel.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said that China “solemnly declares that the award is null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes it.”

In an official statement on its territorial sovereignty over South China Sea, the Chinese government said: “The activities of the Chinese people in the South China Sea date back to over 2,000 years ago. China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them continuously, peacefully and effectively, thus establishing territorial sovereignty and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea.”

It also claimed that more than 60 countries and international organizations, as well as over 130 foreign political parties and groups, have voiced support for its “principled position”, far outnumbering those backing the assertions of the Aquino administration and the United States, which is widely considered as a primary instigator behind the arbitration case.

Rival demonstrators held a shouting match outside the seat of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as it delivered its ruling.

Three demonstrators were seenholding up banners shouted “China out of Philippine waters!” while rival protesters yelled in Chinese.

Earlier more than 100 left-wing activists marched to the Chinese consulate in metropolitan Manila yelling, “Philippine territory is ours, China get out.” They called their campaign to push China out of the South China Sea, “CHexit” or “China exit now.”

Protest leader Renato Reyes of the Bayan group called on China to respect the tribunal’s decision, which he said would likely favor the Philippines.

Chinese coast guard ships, he said, have blocked Filipino fishermen from disputed areas like the Scarborough Shoal, affecting their livelihood.

Fisherman Fernando Rayman, who joined the protest, hoped the ruling will favor the Philippines and stop China’s aggressive actions “so that our family can have a better life, we can send our children to school, because now it’s very hard.”

Southeast Asian neighbor Thailand has urged all parties with stakes in the South China Sea to maintain peace and stability.

In a statement issued ahead of the ruling, Thailand’s foreign ministry said it is important to restore trust and confidence among countries in the region.

It said the situation in the South China Sea should be resolved “on the basis of mutual trust and confidence as well as equitable benefit” that would reflect the long-standing relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Vietnam, however, accused Chinese vessels of sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat in disputed waters ahead of the ruling.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, a local fisheries executive in central province of Quang Ngai said two Chinese vessels chased and sank the Vietnamese fishing boat as it was fishing near the Paracel Islands on Saturday. The fishermen were rescued by a fellow fishing trawler some seven hours later.

As well as China and the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam have claims on the disputed waters.

The lead counsel for the Philippines in a high-profile case challenging China’s sweeping claims in the disputed South China Sea says the response of other coastal states will be crucial in the aftermath of the ruling.

The Philippines is challenging the validity of the so-called nine-dash line that China uses to demarcate its claims to most of the South China Sea, where tensions have been mounting. China is boycotting the case.

Additional reporting by Associated Press