China 'important force' in keeping peace, stability in SCS —embassy

The Chinese Embassy in Manila underscored Thursday that China is a significant force in ensuring peace and stability in the South China Sea despite its continued aggressions in the region.

GMA News Online asked the Chinese Embassy for a statement on the repeated calls of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos for the assertion of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the rule of law in settling maritime disputes.

In response, the Chinese Embassy said, "China is an important force for maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. It abides by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and is committed to upholding and promoting international rule of law."

The Embassy maintained that Beijing respects and acts in accordance with international law.

"While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation and managing differences through rules and mechanisms," it said.

"China endeavors to achieve win-win outcomes through mutually beneficial cooperation, and is committed to making the South China Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship," it added.

In the recent ASEAN Summit held in Jakarta, Indonesia, Marcos said that practical cooperation in the maritime domain could only flourish "with an enabling environment of regional peace, security, and stability, anchored in international law."

“The Philippines therefore continues to uphold the primacy of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the framework within which all activities in the seas and oceans are conducted. We once again reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes,” Marcos said.

The Philippine military said that there has been a "concerning resurgence" of swarming activity involving over two dozen Chinese fishing vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

The Western Command said the presence of Chinese fishing vessels in Rozul Reef violates the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction since the reef is located within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea as it ignores the July 2016 ruling by the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidates its massive claims.—LDF, GMA Integrated News