China rejected the Philippines’ maritime claims in the South China Sea, calling them ‘illegal’. Beijing dismissed the 2016 arbitral award, while Manila demanded China cease activities on contested reefs, citing international law.
The Philippines issued a direct demand for China to cease its activities on Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef) and Zamora Reef (Subi Reef), asserting that Beijing’s artificial island construction violates international law and Philippine domestic legislation.
China’s Rejection of Maritime Claims
During a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed statements issued by Manila regarding Meiji Jiao (Mischief Reef), Zhubi Jiao (Subi Reef), and Zhongye Dao (Thitu Island). “Nansha Qundao, including Meiji Jiao, Zhubi Jiao and Zhongye Dao, are China’s inherent territory. It is totally legitimate and lawful for China to conduct construction and other activities on its own territory, a matter within China’s sovereignty,” Guo said.
Guo dismissed the legal basis of Manila’s claims, asserting that the territorial limits of the Philippines are defined by international treaties that do not encompass the Nansha Islands. “The territorial scope of the Philippines has already been defined by a series of international treaties. Nansha Qundao has never been part of the Philippine territory. According to the ‘land dominates the sea’ principle in international law, the Philippines’ claim of so-called maritime jurisdiction over China’s territory is illegal,” the spokesperson stated.
Guo Criticises Manila’s ‘Absurd’ Claim
Guo criticised the shift in Manila’s narrative regarding Zhubi Jiao, pointing to inconsistency in the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs’ statements. “The Philippine side at one point claimed that Zhubi Jiao is within its EEZ and continental shelf, but later claimed that it lies within the territorial sea of the island it illegally occupies. This only exposes how absurd and random its claim is, making it totally untenable,” Guo added.
Beijing Dismisses 2016 Arbitral Award
Addressing Manila’s invocation of international law and domestic legislation, Guo reiterated Beijing’s long-standing refusal to recognize the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award or the Philippines’ Maritime Zones Act. “The ‘South China Sea arbitration’ is completely a political manipulation by the Philippines to grab unlawful gains. The so-called ‘award’ is illegal, null and void, and has no binding force,” Guo said.
“The Philippines’ so-called ‘Maritime Zones Act’ illegally includes China’s Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs in Nansha Qundao and relevant waters into the Philippines’ maritime zone. This is a grave violation of China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and is illegal and null and void. China firmly opposes it and will never accept it,” he added.
The spokesperson urged the Philippines to halt unilateral actions in disputed waters, warning that Beijing remains prepared to defend its territorial claims. “China will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly oppose any infringement,” Guo emphasised. “The Philippines should immediately stop infringing upon China’s rights, and stop the provocations and publicity stunts.”
Philippines Reaffirms Sovereign Rights
This comes as, in an official statement issued on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reaffirmed Manila’s sovereign rights over both maritime features in the West Philippine Sea, “in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and as upheld by the 2016 Arbitral Award.”
Clarifying the legal framework governing low-tide elevations (LTEs), the DFA emphasized that such geographical features cannot be appropriated or claimed as sovereign land territory. “As low-tide elevations, the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the features, and these can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor capable of appropriation under international law,” the statement read.
Manila Calls for Halt to ‘Illegal Occupation’
Addressing China’s ongoing military and infrastructure development on the reefs, Manila noted that physical alterations do not confer legal territorial ownership under UNCLOS or domestic law. The Philippines called for an immediate halt to Beijing’s presence on the features, invoking the binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
“We call on China to cease its illegal occupation and activities in Panganiban Reef and Zamora Reef immediately, and to abide by the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” the statement added. Reaffirming its long-term policy in disputed waters, the department concluded that “the Department will continue to assert the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, and champion the Philippines’ legitimate rights and interests in the maritime domain.”
India’s Stance on South China Sea
Meanwhile, today, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Philippine President, during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, held broad strategic and regional discussions under the overarching bilateral framework, reaffirming India’s stance on the South China Sea.
“If you look at the readout that we put out, you would see that we have mentioned that both leaders exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, issues on which issues which are of mutual interest to both countries. So that should answer your question,” the spokesperson stated. (ANI)
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