Britain calls on Philippines, China to abide by UN ruling on South China Sea
Britain calls on Philippines, China to abide by UNCLOS ruling on South China Sea
London
In an apparent bid to support the Philippines government’s claims in the South China Sea, the British government called on China to abide by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ruling.
A UK government spokesperson made these remarks on Wednesday after HMA Manila’s speech on the 7th anniversary of the ruling, by saying that UNCLOS’s unanimous decision is binding on both sides.
“As provided for in UNCLOS, the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision is final and legally binding on both parties. We call on the Philippines and China to abide by its terms,” the spokesperson added.
The UK government spokesperson, however, made it clear that Britain is not taking any position on competing sovereignty claims made by both countries on the South China Sea.
“But, (the UK government) strongly opposes any claims that are not consistent with UNCLOS (decision on the South China Sea Arbitration),” he further stated.
It is worth noting that the South China Sea is a highly disputed region in Southeast Asia, bordered by several countries including the Philippines.
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The conflict revolves around competing territorial and maritime claims made by multiple nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
The Philippines, like other claimant countries, asserts its sovereignty over certain areas within the South China Sea.
The Philippines’ claim is based on the UNCLOS which grants countries exclusive economic zones (EEZs) extending 200 nautical miles from their coastlines.
The Philippines’ EEZ encompasses various features, such as the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, which are also claimed by China.
The Philippines and China have had a contentious relationship over their overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
China has been assertive in pursuing its territorial and maritime interests, including the construction of artificial islands and the establishment of military installations in the region.
On 12 July 2016, an international tribunal established under UNCLOS ruled in favor of the Philippines and invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
The tribunal concluded that China’s actions violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights and caused irreparable harm to the marine environment.
However, China rejected the ruling and continued its activities in the disputed areas with the Chinese government reasserting its commitment to defy the ruling on its 7th anniversary.
