Philippines turns down bilateral talks with China
July 19, 2016
The Philippines' foreign minister said on Tuesday he had refused an offer from Beijing to hold bilateral talks regarding the countries' dispute over the South China Sea, saying China wanted to disregard a recent court ruling over the matter.
"[China's foreign minister] had asked us to open ourselves for bilateral negotiations but outside, or [in] disregard of, the arbitral ruling," said Perfecto Yasay in a television interview, according to Reuters news agency.
"This is something I told him was not consistent with our constitution and our national interest," he said.
China bristles at court ruling
Last week, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), in The Hague, ruled that China had violated international law in claiming control over the South China Sea. It said the country had no historic rights within the so-called "nine-mile dash" and had interfered with the Philippines' right to fish in the Scarborough Shoal.
China uses the nine-dash-line to demarcate the territory in the South China Sea it claims as its own. At the center of Beijing and Manila's dispute is the Spratly archipelago, which covers an area of about 420,000 square km.
The Philippine government welcomed the court's ruling, and other countries in the region, such as Japan, called on China to respect it. Beijing, however, has dismissed it, saying the court was "malicious" in its ruling.
US pledges support for Pacific Rim allies
During a visit to Sydney, US Vice President Joe Biden vowed the US would stand by Australia and its allies' claim to unfettered passage through the disputed South China Sea.
Standing next to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Biden said Australia and the US were a "genuine brotherhood" committed to "making sure the sea lanes are open and the skies are free for navigation."
"They are the life bloodlines of commerce and the economic growth worldwide," Biden added, pledging robust military cooperation between the two countries.
"We also discussed the steps that Australia and the United States are taking so our troops can train more together and increase our interoperability so that we are fully prepared to respond to any challenges, any challenges, in the Pacific with a united front," Biden said.
Europe calls on China to cooperate
At the biannual Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Mongolia, countries in both regions made veiled calls for Beijing to respect other nations' territorial integrity. China had asked the leaders not to discuss the ruling, but the matter was frequently addressed.
"Dialogue and a strong commitment to the rules-based international order are necessary," said European Council President Donald Tusk during the opening ceremony.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during a sideline meeting at the summit, where he urged Beijing to back off from its aggressive stance. Li, however, was not having it, telling Japan to "stop hyping up and interfering" in the South China Sea dispute.
blc/jr (Reuters, AP)