Arbitration of South China Sea disputes not fair: expert

A Chinese expert on the South China Sea issue said Friday that the arbitration initiated by the Philippines cannot be fair, and China's attitude toward it is reasonable.

At a seminar at All-China Journalists Association on Friday, Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told reporters that the nature of disputes between China and the Philippines concerns territory, which is not subject to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

China and the Philippines have reached a number of consensuses on the disputes, he said, adding that consultation and negotiation are the only way to solve the issue.

In 2006, China made a declaration under UNCLOS Article 298 excluding certain subjects from arbitration, including disputes concerning law enforcement activities in regard to the exercise of sovereign rights or jurisdiction as well as sea boundary delimitations, or those involving historical bays or titles.

China does not accept nor will it participate in the arbitration, and it will never recognizes the "award" issued by the court.

"Some Chinese experts argue that the arbitration court recklessly expanded its jurisdiction and failed to remain fair," said Wu.

Arbitration is for solving disputes, however, the Philippines' unilaterally initiated arbitration has aggravated tensions in the region.

"No responsible governments will accept an award made by a body without the recognition of the country and with clear political goals," Wu said, adding that the award cannot be a fair one.

Wu said China advocates solving disputes through negotiation, which is the right and the only choice. Endi