Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed Philippine arbitral win as rubbish

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Philippine win over China in the arbitration case involving the West Philippine Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian declared it as rubbish. In a decision handed down on 12 July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled in favor of the Philippines in the dispute between the two countries over the West Philippine Sea. China has made a sweeping and baseless claim of ownership over the entire South China Sea through its so-called nine-dash line, disregarding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to which China is a signatory. The PCA invalidated the nine-dash line in its ruling.

The South China Sea is bounded by the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. According to the UNCLOS, each of these countries have exclusive economic zones (EEZ) 200 nautical miles from their shores, and region outside the EEZ are considered international waters where freedom of navigation can be exercised by any country. China, on the other hand, wants to have the region exclusively for itself in a greedy grab and expansionist policy. China shares borders with 14 countries, but in fact has border dispute with 18.

Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, on the other hand, said that the statement of the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson is not unexpected because governments are expected to advance the interests of their own countries. Thus, Mr. Lijian is expected to advance the interests of China. The Vice President added, however, that one can only hope that the Philippine government will also do the same. The Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte parrots the China narrative. In fact, Duterte himself has declared the PCA ruling as rubbish. In a statement, the Vice President said that “if only we can remember, if only we can unite, if only we can rediscover our spirit and once again stand for what is right— we will find, beneath the rubble of cowardice and neglect, our courage, our dignity, and our national pride.”

Sources:

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/12/2112031/waste-paper-china-still-refuses-recognize-5-year-old-arbitration-award

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1459260/sana-all-robredo-hopes-ph-govt-would-fervently-push-for-wps-claims-like-china

Fifth Anniversary of the Philippine Win in the Permanent Court of Arbitration

Statement of Vice President Leni Robredo on the 5th Anniversary of the Philippine victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague 

Today marks 5 years of missed opportunities regarding the West Philippine Sea. On July 12, 2016,  the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague enshrined in international law the validity of our claims in the West Philippine Sea. Since then, national leadership has yet to fully flex the ruling as an instrument to pursue our national interests, failing to invoke it in strong enough terms in the forums that matter most. Our fisherfolk remain unable to enter areas that have been the source of livelihood for generations of Filipinos. Alliances that could have been strengthened were allowed to erode, while those who bully their way into our waters have been treated with deference, and at times, subservience. The dream of a regional architecture founded on respect and mutual prosperity has become even more elusive. 

The Hague ruling is now a definitive part of international law. It cannot be erased from the history books, and cannot be denied despite the unending lies spewed forth by a formidable machinery of disinformation. Filing the case before the tribunal— standing up for what is right, against the economic and military might of a world power— yielded the admiration and respect of the entire world. Today’s commemoration is a reminder, a challenge, and a promise: That if only we can remember, if only we can unite, if only we can rediscover our spirit and once again stand for what is right— we will find, beneath the rubble of cowardice and neglect, our COURAGE, our DIGNITY, and our NATIONAL PRIDE.

Free Talk on the Issue of Enforcement in International Law

Dr. Lowell Bautista, an expert in the law of the sea, particularly in the area of territorial and maritime disputes in the Asia-Pacific, will be talking about The South China Sea Arbitral Award and the Enforcement of Judgements in International Law on 30 July 2021 (Friday) 4PM Philippine Time live via Zoom. He will be sharing his insights on the South China Sea Arbitral Award which the Philippines won 5 years ago and situate them within the broader question of enforcement of judgements in international law.

Dr. Bautista is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Postgraduate Studies at the School of Law and the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), Faculty of Business and Law, University of Wollongong. His talk is organised by the Cities and Environments Research Network (CERN) based in Melbourne as part of its CERN Discussion Series. CERN is composed of Filipino postgraduate scholars, PhDs, postdocs, and lecturers based at Australian Universities with research interests in the Philippines at the junctures of planning, development, disaster, education, design, art, communication, and ecology.

To register for the event, visit https://bit/ly/scsenforcement.

The West Philippine Sea Institute is not affiliated with CERN, and is providing the foregoing information as part of its advocacy to improve public education in the matters concerning the West Philippine Sea.