Beijing refuses South China Sea arbitration award

Beijing: Beijing on Tuesday said it neither accepts nor
recognises the award of an arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration
established at the request of the Philippines.

“The award is null and void and
has no binding force,” Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry
as saying in a statement.

China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime
rights and interests in the South China Sea “shall under no circumstances
be affected by those awards”, the ministry said.

China opposes and will never accept
any claim or action based on those awards, it added in the statement.

“China has territorial
sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,”
said a separate statement, adding that China has historic rights in the South
China Sea.

China is always firmly opposed to the
invasion and illegal occupation by certain states of some islands and reefs of
China’s Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands), and activities infringing upon
China’s rights and interests in relevant maritime areas under China’s
jurisdiction, according to the statement.

IANS