Washington/The Hague: The United States on Tuesday welcomed the verdict by an international tribunal that ruled unanimously that there is no legal basis for China's "nine-dash line" claiming rights to much of the South China Sea.
The U.S. State Department called the tribunal's ruling an important contribution to the shared goal of peacefully resolving South China Sea disputes.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the ruling was binding on both parties and that the U.S. expected China and the Philippines both to comply with their obligations under the ruling.
In the statement, the U.S. also urged all claimants in the South China Sea to avoid provocative statements or actions.
"The decision today by the tribunal in the Philippines- China arbitration is an important contribution to the shared goal of a peaceful resolution to disputes in the South China Sea," Kirby said.
"As provided in the Convention, the tribunal's decision is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines," he added, urging all claimants "to avoid provocative statements or actions," he said.
U.S. lawmakers welcomed the ruling and called for the U.S. Navy to challenge China's excessive maritime claims.
The panel of legal experts in The Hague said that any historic rights to resources that China may have had were wiped out if they are incompatible with exclusive economic zones established under a U.N. treaty.
China has rejected the jurisdiction of the panel that ruled that there is no legal basis for China's historic claims.
China, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the “unilateral request of the Republic of the Philippines” is “null and void and has no binding force.”
In a strongly worded statement, China said, “The unilateral initiation of arbitration by the Philippines is out of bad faith. It aims not to resolve the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines, or to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, but to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.”
Announcing the verdict, Chinese state media Xinhua said in a tweet, “Law-abusing tribunal issues ill-founded award.” In a follow-up, Xinhua labelled the tribunal, “illegal and ridiculous.”
The Philippines, which brought the arbitration case against China, welcomed the ruling. Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay called it a "milestone decision" and pledged to pursue a peaceful resolution of its territorial disputes with China.
"The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea," he said.
Perfecto Yasay urged all concerned "to exercise restraint and sobriety" and said the ruling is "an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea."
"The Philippines welcomes the issuance today, 12 July 2016 of the award by the arbitral tribunal constituted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration and their annex 7 of the 1982 United Nations convention on the law of the seas, or UNCLOS on the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines with regard to the South China Sea. Our experts are studying the award with a care and thoroughness that this significant arbitral outcome deserves. In the meantime we call on those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety. The Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the South China Sea," he said.
China drafted its so-called nine-dash line to demarcate its claims to virtually the entire South China Sea. Manila brought the case because China's claims infringe upon its own 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The dispute centers on waters through which an estimated $5 trillion in global trade passes through each year and are home to rich fishing stocks and a potential wealth of oil, gas and other resources.
China, which boycotted the case, summoned its demobilized sailors and officers for training drills in exercises that apparently started just days ago.
The People's Liberation Army Daily newspaper said on social media late Monday that Chinese navy reserves have been called up to perform "functional tasks." The post followed online rumors that reservists in central Chinese provinces were called up for an unspecified mission from July 10-22.
In the Philippines, more than 100 left-wing activists marched to the Chinese Consulate in metropolitan Manila, yelling, "Philippine territory is ours, China get out." They called their campaign to push China out of the South China Sea, "CHexit" or "China exit now."
Vietnam, meanwhile, accused Chinese vessels of sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat in disputed waters. Nguyen Thanh Hung, a local fisheries executive in the central province of Quang Ngai, said two Chinese vessels chased and sank the Vietnamese boat around midday Saturday as it was fishing near the Paracel islands. The five fishermen were rescued by another trawler around seven hours later.
China has argued that the tribunal has no jurisdiction and says it won't accept the ruling. It has insisted that bilateral talks between Beijing and other claimants is the only way to address the dispute.
Findings of the tribunal are binding on the parties, including China. But the court — without police or military forces or a system of sanctions at its disposal — can't enforce its ruling, so its potential impact remains unclear.
(With AP inputs)
