by Mao Lei, Wu Dan
BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) -- China's reiteration of nonacceptance of and nonparticipation in the Philippines-filed arbitration over South China Sea issue has concrete basis on international law and its reason can be summarized as three "NOs," a Chinese official of foreign affairs told Xinhua on Wednesday.
The three "NOs" are: the Philippine action has no basis on international law, the international arbitration tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case, and the tribunal has no legitimacy, explained Zhou Jian, a representative for boundary and ocean affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
China's stance on the South China Sea issue has won many countries' support. However, some nations for their own interests called China "despising international law" or "fearing to lose."
In response to such slander, Zhou said it is the Philippines that initiated the arbitration against international law.
First of all, what the Philippines did went against its agreement with China to solve disputes through bilateral negotiations and its commitment in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Zhou said.
In addition, the Philippines has neglected the exclusion that territorial issues are beyond the scope of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the essence of the arbitration is over the sovereignty of some islands in the disputed waters, Zhou stressed.
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