China yesterday rejected an arbitration tribunal’s ruling giving it six months to respond to a case filed by the Philippines over disputed waters, saying it has no plans to take part.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts from Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei in one of Asia’s most intractable disputes and a possible flashpoint. It also has a separate maritime dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea.
The tribunal in The Hague gave Beijing until Dec. 15 to reply to the first international case filed against China related to the energy-rich waters.
In giving China time to respond to the Philippines’ filing, which questioned the validity of Beijing’s so-called “nine-dash” claim, the tribunal was fulfilling its obligation to assure “each party a full opportunity to be heard and to present its case,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
China has said all along it will not participate in the arbitration proceedings, preferring a bilateral approach to resolve the conflicts.
“China’s stance of not accepting and not participating in the relevant Philippines’ arbitration case has not changed,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊) told reporters yesterday.
The tribunal suggested it would continue hearing the Philippine complaint even without China’s involvement.
“The arbitral tribunal will determine the further course of the proceedings, including the need for, and scheduling of any other written submissions and hearings, at an appropriate later stage, after seeking the views of the parties,” it said.
Manila is seeking confirmation of its right to exploit waters in a 200 nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone as allowed under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, its lawyers have said.
“We continue to urge China to reconsider its decision not to participate in the arbitration proceedings,” said Charles Jose, spokesman for the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department.
“We also wish to reiterate that arbitration is a peaceful, open and friendly resolution mechanism that offers a durable solution to the disputes in the South China Sea,” he said.
The US has said it supports the Philippines’ arbitration case, closely watched by other claimant states, including Vietnam, which said last month it was considering legal action against China after Beijing moved an oil rig into waters claimed by Hanoi.
Additional reporting by AP and staff writer
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
RSS