On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that her country does not recognize the legitimacy of the arbitral proceedings in the South China Sea arbitration, saying the disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through political and diplomatic means.
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The Russian diplomat recalled that China does not participate in the South China Sea arbitration, and firmly maintains its position that the arbitral tribunal lacks any relevant jurisdiction.
Zakharova stressed that Russia does not recognize the legitimacy of the arbitral proceedings due to the absence of the necessary consent of China to the settlement of this dispute.
She also mentioned that Russia opposes the intervention of non-regional forces on the issue and insists on a political and diplomatic resolution based on international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
The Russian position on the issue “is not a political one, but a purely legal one,” and is based on the necessity of the consent of states to the consideration of disputes involving them by international judicial and arbitral bodies, Zakharova said.
The South China Sea arbitration refers to a legal case brought by the Philippines against China under the dispute settlement provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Philippines initiated the proceedings in 2013, challenging the legal basis of China’s maritime claims, including the so-called “Nine-Dash Line,” which Beijing has used to assert rights over the South China Sea.
China rejected the arbitration from the outset, arguing that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction and refusing to participate in the proceedings. The case, however, continued under UNCLOS rules.
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued its final award, ruling in favor of the Philippines. China has consistently rejected the ruling, calling it “null and void” and maintaining that it is not legally binding on Beijing.
Currently, tensions in the South China Sea continue over competing territorial claims, freedom of navigation and the region’s strategic importance for global trade and security.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: Xinhua – PCA – UNCLO
Source: teleSUR English
