According to a Chinese official, the mainland will not be doing anything in defense to its claims in the South China Sea to a United Nations tribunal. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei, who spoke about the Philippines' dispute in Beijing today, said that the country does not recognize international arbitration regarding territorial claims.
"China's position that it will not accept or participate in the tribunal case involving the Philippines hasn't changed," the spokesman said.
Hong's statement appeared to be a response to the announcement of the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration yesterday, which issued a deadline for China to provide a response to a complaint filed by the Philippines in March. China has been requested to submit a response until December 15 this year on the Southeast Asian country's claim to exploit waters within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Bloomberg said that China has been insistent in resolving territorial disputes exclusively between two parties only, and has rejected international efforts to resolve the issue.
President Xi Jinping's administration has tapped economic and military muscle to assert its claims to surrounding waters based on its "nine dash-line" map, which was first published in 1947. If one should follow the "nine dash-line" concept to territorial claim, China owns hundreds of miles south from Hainan Island to equatorial waters off the coast of Borneo, which basically some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
On May 31, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in his remarks before a gathering of defense officials in Singapore that China's actions in the contested waters run the risk of destabilizing the region. Hagel was also quoted saying, "(The) US will not look the other way when fundamental principles of international order are being challenged."
Hagel's remarks drew a sharp rebuke from deputy chief of general staff of the People's Liberation Army, Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, who called the US official's statements "groundless."
