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Philippines repeatedly take moves that complicate disputes in South China Sea: white paper

Xinhua, July 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Philippines, turning a blind eye to bilateral consensus, has repeatedly taken moves that complicate the relevant disputes, gradually intensified the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, said a white paper issued on Wednesday.

The Philippines built military facilities on some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) it has invaded and illegally occupied, said the document, titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea."

The Philippines deliberately destroyed survey markers set up by China and attempted to illegally occupy China's Ren'ai Jiao by using a military vessel illegally run aground at it, according to the document issued by the State Council Information Office.

The Philippines also has territorial pretensions on China's Huangyan Dao and attempted to occupy it illegally, deliberately causing the Huangyan Dao Incident, it said.

The Philippines has intruded into relevant maritime areas of China's Nansha Qundao to carry out illegal oil and gas exploratory drilling and bidding.

The Philippines has repeatedly harassed and attacked Chinese fishermen and fishing boats conducting routine fishing operations, according to the white paper.

In January 2013, the then government of the Republic of the Philippines unilaterally initiated the South China Sea arbitration.

By doing so, the Philippines has violated its standing agreement with China to settle the relevant disputes through bilateral negotiation, has violated China's right to choose means of dispute settlement of its own will as a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and has abused the UNCLOS dispute settlement procedures, it said.

"The Philippines has distorted facts, misinterpreted laws and concocted a pack of lies, in an attempt to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," it said.

The Arbitral Tribunal established at the Philippines' unilateral request has no jurisdiction over relevant submissions, and awards rendered by it are null and void and have no binding force, according to the white paper.

China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards. China does not accept or recognize those awards. China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards, it said. Endit