China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying insisted that there has never been a problem in the disputed waterway as Beijing “respects and supports” freedom to all countries entitled under the international law.
She added that Beijing itself has made efforts in safeguarding the freedom with other countries in the Asia Pacific region.
“The problem about freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea is a false statement. All countries have unimpeded access to normal navigation and flight activities in the South China Sea. We have never heard about any country encountering any problem,” she was quoted in a translated transcript issued by the ministry on Monday.
She said certain countries released the “negative publicity” for their own hidden motives.
“By sensationalizing the so-called tensions in the South China Sea, and driving wedges between countries in the region, they are trying to justify their political and military involvement in the South China Sea issue. That is what they really want,” she said.
While it has its warships patrolling in the contested waters and has accused of bullying Filipino fishermen, Hua said Beijing will keep the shipping lane unobstructed and hoped that other countries will also stop disturbing peace and stability of the region.
The official claimed China has been constantly blamed for the regional security issue when it is actually the “victim” because outsider countries sowed discord between Beijing and other countries in the region.
Meanwhile, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing expects that a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal will rule in favor of Manila, but China will never abide by it.
He said the arbitration case file by the Philippines in 2013 “was not to settle any specific disputes, but to ask the arbitral tribunal to judge on questions about the interpretation and application of the Convention.”
“China does not accept or participate in the arbitration, and the arbitral tribunal has lent a ready ear only to the Philippines. I think the award will probably be in the Philippines’ favor,” he said in a separate press conference in the US.
In an interview last week, Philippines’ incoming Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.
admitted that even if Manila gets a favorable ruling, “there might be some questions of enforcement or implementation…because the court does not have any enforcement capability.”
As such, he said, there is a need to get China into negotiating table when the award has been handed down. (MJD via RH NewsCenter)
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