PH reiterates China’s ‘baseless, misleading’ WPS, SCS claims

(INQUIRER FILES)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday stressed anew that China’s historic rights and sweeping claims in the South China Sea / Weat Philippine Sea  are “baseless and misleading.”

In a statement on Sunday, the DFA said that the Philippines had sovereignty and exercised administrative control over Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, as well as various features west of Palawan, which collectively form the Kalayaan Island Group.

“These features appeared and were clearly identified in the administrative maps of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, including the 1734 Murillo Velarde Map of the Philippines,” the DFA statement added.

It also reiterated the 2016 Arbitral Award which declared invalid China’s claims to historic rights through its nine, now 10-dash line, over the South China Sea, which the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea.

“As has been settled by the 2016 Arbitral Award, China’s claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction beyond the limits of the maritime entitlements provided by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), are without legal effect,” the DFA said.

The foreign affairs department also said that the Philippines maintains a firm stand against misguided claims and irresponsible actions that violate “Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in its own maritime domain.” 

It further said that the Philippines has never used the South China Sea issue to heighten tensions, mislead the international community, or undermine peace and stability in the region.

“The Philippines urges China to reconsider its unfounded positions and claims.”

The DFA’s statement comes in response to a claim made by the spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, asserting Beijing’s historic claims over the disputed waters.

While the DFA did not name the spokesperson in the statement, it was Wang Wenbin who said in a press conference on March 14 that “China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, based on Nanhai Zhudao (South China Sea islands); And China has historic rights in the South China Sea. The above positions are consistent with relevant international law and practice.”