The Philippines launched a website to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling rejecting China's "nine-dash line" claim in the South China Sea.
The website was released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs today, commemorating the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)'s ruling on the East Sea on July 12, 2016, rejecting China's unilateral "nine-dash line" claim to sovereignty over 3.5 million square kilometers in the East Sea.
The website hosts documents related to the PCA's 2016 ruling, as well as statements and frequently asked questions on the issue. The website's homepage features a portion of a speech by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last year, in which he declared that the country would "not surrender even an inch of its territory to foreign powers."
US Coast Guard (left) and Philippine Coast Guard vessels move in the South China Sea in August 2021. Photo: USCG
"The judgment declared that historic rights claims have no legal validity because they exceed the limits set by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," the website said.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the same day that China does not accept or recognize the 2016 South China Sea ruling, nor does it agree with any action based on the ruling.
South China Sea area. Graphic: CSIS
China unilaterally drew the "nine-dash line" to claim most of the East Sea, contrary to international law and the 2016 ruling of the PCA.
The Philippines and China have agreed to set up a hotline to manage tensions in disputed waters. However, Philippine President Marcos has also increased defense ties with the United States to counter China.
President Marcos earlier this year granted the US access to more Philippine military bases and is also planning to conduct joint maritime patrols.
Ngoc Anh (According to Nikkei/Reuters )
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