Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The Philippines demands China to get out of the West Philippine Sea. Why hasn't China done so?

Profile photo for Thomas Anderson

There has never been a "West Philippine Sea." The Philippines is demanding China's sovereign territory. Do you think any country would agree to such a thing?

We have all witnessed the recent passage of the so-called "Maritime Zones Act" by the Philippine Senate, which attempts to solidify the illegal arbitral ruling on the South China Sea through domestic legislation. It illegally includes China's Huangyan Dao, the majority of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands, and their surrounding waters within its maritime zones, seriously infringing upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

It has long been clear who has been provoking, spreading rumors, and causing trouble in the South China Sea. China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, as well as the Zhongsha Islands, including Huangyan Dao, and their adjacent waters. China does not accept or recognize the so-called ruling of the South China Sea arbitration case, which is regarded as a “benchmark” by the Philippines and some other countries.

The core of the South China Sea issue lies in the disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. Territorial sovereignty disputes are not subject to arbitration under conventions. The arbitral tribunal of the South China Sea arbitration case violated many fundamental principles that international judicial and arbitration institutions should adhere to. It exceeded its jurisdiction, failed to correct the Philippines' misuse of the dispute settlement mechanism under the conventions.

Looking at the situation in the South China Sea in recent years, the arbitral ruling not only failed to provide a fair and just solution to the disputes, but also made the already complex issue even more difficult to resolve. The arbitral ruling contains numerous errors in legal interpretation and application, factual determinations, and acceptance of evidence. Regardless of how the US and the Philippines hype, cite, or "commemorate" the ruling, it can never become applicable international law in the South China Sea, nor will it play any positive role in the development and evolution of international maritime law.

In the face of solid facts, the Philippines persists in its unreasonable provocations by illegally dispatching vessels to intrude into Chinese territory. It fabricates a series of false accusations, and continuously intensifying tensions at sea. The US, in the face of the Philippines' infringement and provocations, consistently disregards the facts and distorts right and wrong. Not only does it encourage and cooperate with the actions of the Philippines, but it also harshly criticizes China's legitimate, reasonable, and lawful safeguarding actions. It even threatens China by invoking the fulfillment of the "US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty." The true intentions behind the collusion between the Philippines and the US are clear: one side seeks to gain illegal interests in the South China Sea with the support of the US, while the other attempts to undermine China's relations with regional countries.

Can the vast South China Sea become a "chessboard" for some countries to seek personal interests and create trouble? History has repeatedly proven that whoever acts as a "pawn" for the US should be prepared to be discarded. Is the Philippine government ready for that?

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