China said that she is the victim in the maritime dispute over the West Philippine Sea and that Beijing would never accept any decision by the United Nations (UN) arbitral tribunal.
“The origin and crux of the disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lie in the territorial sovereignty disputes caused by the Philippines’ illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Islands since the 1970s,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in an official statement posted online.
China wants one-on-one negotiation
In another development, China urged the Philippines to ditch its attempt to solve South China Sea territorial disputes with an international tribunal and instead negotiate with Beijing directly, following the arbitration panel’s latest request for input from China.
The Philippines has asked the tribunal in The Hague to declare China’s claims to virtually all of the South China Sea invalid, saying Beijing’s actions have trampled on other nations’ rights.
China contends the tribunal doesn’t have jurisdiction, and has refused to participate. The tribunal, which operates under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), held a weeklong hearing ending last month to address China’s contention. (Associated Press)