The Chinese envoy accused West of ‘sowing chaos’ in the WPS

In a statement, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said that “in Asian culture, outsiders should promote peace and facilitate dialogue,” but outsiders seem to “not act in this way.”

Huang questioned the real intentions of these outsiders, though he said these countries had “tried all means to inflame and provoke” between Beijing and Manila.

The Chinese envoy accused West of ‘sowing chaos’ in the WPS

Huang did not name who these outsiders were, but his statement posted on his Facebook page came after the United States, Canada, Australia and France expressed support for the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. .

These countries, in support of the Philippines, cited the July 12, 2016 Arbitral Award awarded by the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines, which invalidated China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea and adopted Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, as well as international law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China has refused to recognize the validity of the UN tribunal’s decision.

“Do they really care about the welfare of the Filipino people and the peace and stability of the region? I’m afraid not. Instead, they have their own geopolitical interests to serve, ”Huang said.

The Chinese diplomat also said that Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his recent visit to the Philippines, “stressed that China and the Philippines should make joint efforts to be good neighbors, good relatives. , and good partners. ”

“[A]And the only right path for bilateral relations is to pursue good mutual and friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Both sides agreed to properly manage differences from a strategic and overall perspective, putting them in the right place in bilateral relations, ”he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously said

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously said. that the South China Sea dispute should not simply be discussed although he will try to resolve the issue.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo made a strong statement on the sixth anniversary of the arbitral award in favor of the Philippines, saying it was “final” and “unquestionable.”

“The best way to resolve disputes between neighbors is through patient and friendly dialogue to find a win-win solution,” Huang said.

But China is advancing its activities in parts of the West Philippine Sea that are attacking Philippine -claimed territory.

On Friday, the Office of the Solicitor General expressed strong support for the position of the Department of Foreign Affairs to assert the country’s maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.

“The Office of the Solicitor General strongly supports the DFA’s position that UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 arbitral award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in favor of the Philippines are the anchor of all of Philippine policy and action in relation to all maritime rights issues in the WPS, ”Solicitor-General Menardo Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

Guevarra made the statement after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo declared that “the Award and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are the twin anchors of Philippine policy and action in the West Philippine Sea.”

Manalo’s statement was released on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the July 12, 2016 PCA award in favor of the claims asserted by the Philippine government.

The DFA chief stressed that UNCLOS sets the legal framework within which all ocean and sea activities must be carried out.

“There is no way in general international law on matters that are comprehensively covered by UNCLOS,” he said.

“Adherence to UNCLOS, which represents a delicate balance of the rights and obligations of all parties to the state in its entirety, is key to ensuring global and regional peace and the fair and sustainable use of the oceans,” he added. niya.

Manalo said the award given by the PCA “not only sets reason and right in the South China Sea, but an inspiration for how things should be considered — by reason and right — the states faced in similar challenging circumstances. ”

He noted that the award “upheld the rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines in its exclusive economic zone” and “proved that certain actions within the EEZ (exclusive economic zone) of the Philippines violated the rights of the Philippines. sovereignty of the Philippines and is thus unlawful; that the large -scale reclamation and construction of artificial islands has caused severe environmental damage in violation of international conventions; that large-scale harvesting of endangered marine species has damaged the marine ecosystem; and the actions taken since the arbitration began have exacerbated disputes. ”

The Philippines filed its arbitration case against China at the PCA in The Hague in January 2013.

On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled: “The Tribunal has ruled that, as between the Philippines and China, there is no legal basis for China to claim historical rights to the resources, which are more than rights established by the Convention. , within sea areas within the ‘nine-dash line. ”

In reaction to Manalo’s statement, China reiterated its position that the arbitral award given by the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in the South China Sea case in favor of the Philippines is “null and void” and violates international law. ”

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said that “China does not accept or recognize it and will never accept any claim or action based on the award.”

The United States, among other countries, supported the position of the Philippines by citing both the arbitral ruling as well as UNCLOS.