New Delhi: Advising China to honour UN tribunal's verdict on South China Sea, India today urged all parties to “show utmost respect for the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), which establishes the international legal order of the seas and oceans.
India’s ‘advice’ to China comes after Beijing rejected the jurisdiction of the panel that ruled that there is no legal basis for China's historic claims as "null and void".
The move by India comes weeks after China opposed its entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). In a snub to China, India said that it “supports freedom of navigation and over flight, and unimpeded commerce, based on the principles of international law, as reflected notably in the UNCLOS.”
India said it is "carefully studying" the verdict by the tribunal which today ruled that China has no legal basis to claim "historic rights" to islands in South China Sea.
"India has noted the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the matter concerning the Republic of the Philippines and the Peoples Republic of China and is studying it carefully," External Affairs Ministry said in a statement here.
“Sea lanes of communication passing through the South China Sea are critical for peace, stability, prosperity and development,” it said.
MEA said “India believes that States should resolve disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force and exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate disputes affecting peace and stability.”
Pakistan, however, has backed its China and said Islamabad opposes any imposition of "unilateral will" on others.
“Pakistan maintains that disputes over the South China Sea should be peacefully resolved, through consultations and negotiations by states directly concerned, in accordance with bilateral agreements and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said.
Pakistan opposes any imposition of unilateral will on others, and respects China's statement of optional exception in light of Article 298 of the UNCLOS,” he said.
“Pakistan believes that maintenance of peace and security is the collective responsibility of all parties to the South China Sea. Countries outside the region should fully respect efforts made by China and the ASEAN countries to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, and play a constructive role to this end,” he added.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration said in a statement that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line'.
Ruling out against China in a bitter row over territorial claims in South China Sea, the Permanent Court of Arbitration "concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line'."
Asserting that it "does not accept and does not recognise" the ruling, China rejected the verdict as "null and void".
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Manila had lodged the suit against Beijing in 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues.
