By Wang Xiaopeng
BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- China is defending not only its territorial sovereignty but world peace and stability when fighting against the obstinacy displayed in the South China Sea arbitration.
The Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration, established at the unilateral request of the Republic of the Philippines, claimed on Wednesday that it would issue the final "award" on July 12.
Since January 22, 2013 when the Philippines unilaterally initiated the arbitration on the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, the Chinese government has repeatedly reiterated that it would neither accept nor participate in the arbitration.
In a show of stubbornness, the arbitral tribunal in The Hague risks opening a Pandora's Box at sea, which would have dangerous consequences.
From the very beginning, the tribunal, established on the basis of illegal conduct and claims of the Philippines, has no jurisdiction over the relevant matters.
The tribunal disrespects the fact that China and the Philippines have agreed to settle their relevant disputes in the South China Sea through bilateral negotiation. The arbitration proceeding under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does not apply to the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
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