DND lashes at China’s remarks on PCA ruling

MANILA, Philippines — The “insincere and duplicitous” remarks of the Chinese Embassy in Manila over the 2016 Arbitral Award on the West Philippine Sea, “offer a window into the true intentions of the Chinese Communist Party in dealing with our country,” the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Sunday.

“The Chinese Embassy statement replying to our [Department of Foreign Affairs, or DFA] is a window into the true intentions of the Chinese Communist Party in dealing with our Country,” said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in a statement.

“It clearly shows their insincerity and duplicity which are amply personified by their Embassy officials. We condemn the arrogant display of deceitful indignation by them,” the defense chief said.

READ: Maritime council backs DFA in asserting 2016 arbitral ruling vs China

The defense secretary made the remark after the Chinese Embassy issued a statement on June 23 rejecting the DFA’s reaffirmation of the arbitral ruling, tagging the award itself as “political manipulation disguised in legal garb,” as well as “illegal, null and void.”

“Their claims are not credible, so they resort to bluster,” Teodoro added.

The Philippines and China have been in a maritime dispute since 2009 when China submitted a map to the United Nations, claiming “indisputable sovereignty” over 90 percent of the South China Sea under a so-called “nine-dash line.”

READ: Maritime experts challenge China’s protest over Cebu City WPS resolution

The claim overlapped with the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. The Philippines disputed the nine-dash line before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

The Philippine case involved its territories in the Spratly Islands, including the Kalayaan Island Group and 53 maritime features in the West Philippine Sea.

Vietnam and Indonesia also rejected in 2009 the Chinese claim on parts of their territory as contrary to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and international law.

In 2016, the PCA ruled that China’s nine-dash line is incompatible with the Unclos and has no legal basis.

The tribunal also determined that many features China occupies are reefs that do not generate EEZs, and that any historic rights were extinguished to the extent they conflicted with Unclos provisions.

China, however, rejected the ruling, asserting that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction, and continues to enforce its claims through coast guard patrols, maritime militia operations, and the construction of artificial islands with military installations. /cb