With China threatening to a “decisive response” on any provocation in the South China Sea (SCS), India has advised it to respect the UN Convention on the law of the Sea (UNClOS) judgement and suggested that “no unilateral action should be taken that can further cause tension in the area”.
The Indian statement came after China refused to accept the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) award which went against it and said it may now take some unilateral actions. “The authority of the Annex VII Tribunal and its award is recognised in Part XV of the UNClOS itself. India’s own record in this regard is also well known,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday after media reports from Beijing suggested India has backed China on the South China Sea issue.
“For us, this is not an issue of being in favour or against any particular country. It is about the use of the global commons. It is not a matter of politics, it is a matter of law. Ours is a principled position, deriving from India being a State party to the UNClOS. As a State party, we believe that all parties should show utmost respect to the UNClOS which establishes the international legal order of the seas and oceans,” Swarup said in response to a question on whether India is with or against China on the issue of the PCA verdict.
Meanwhile, India and Japan in a joint statement issued during the visit of Defence Minister of Japan General Nakatani for the annual Defence Ministerial Meeting urged “all parties” to show utmost respect for the UNClOS in light of recent ruling against China’s claims over South China Sea.
“The Ministers recognised that the security and stability of the Seas connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans are indispensable for the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.
The Ministers expressed concern over recent developments in this regard. They reaffirmed the importance of respecting international law, as reflected notably in the UNClOS, of the peaceful settlement of the disputes without any threat or use of force, and of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and over-flight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters. In this context, they noted the Award of the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea under the UNClOS on 12 July 2016, and urged all parties to show utmost respect for the UNClOS,” the joint statement said.
On the other hand, China said the international arbitration tribunal which quashed its claims over the strategic South China Sea has nothing to do with United Nations and its verdict delivered on July 12 is not binding.
“We have noted the statement of relevant organs of the UN which once again showed that temporary arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea arbitration is not an international tribunal and its composition and function has no legitimacy,” Foreign Ministry spokesman lu Kang told reporters in Beijing.
Replying to a question, lu said, “The award given by the tribunal is not authoritative without binding force.”
Referring to media reports which termed the panel as UN tribunal, lu said that now that the “UN agency has clarified we hope the relevant media would not make similar mistake in future”.
The spokesman said, “If anyone challenges China’s rights and interests by taking provocative actions based on the ruling, China will surely make a resolute response.”
China has been questioning the credibility of the tribunal and its panel who unanimously struck down Beijing’s claims over almost all of the South China Sea based on historic rights and upheld the rights of the Philippines.
In another development, Chinese military has announced three-month-long exercises simulating real battle scenarios, amid South China Sea tensions over international tribunal’s verdict.
Army troops from the five theatre commands of the People’s liberation Army (PlA) will take part in a drill from July to September designed to “strengthen the troops’ trans-regional operational capabilities.”
It is one of the key maneuvers after the establishment of the PlA’s new Army command, said a statement issued today by the Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where the drill will be held.
The five theater commands will each send a mixed army brigade that will separately confront the PlA army’s first professional simulation troop posing as the enemy, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.
The PlA Air Force and Strategic Support Force will also take part in the drill that will help reshape the Army’s training system and strengthen its capacity to operate throughout the Chinese territory, the statement said.