Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)— The Philippines on Friday welcomed a recent report by the US State Department which dismissed Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
“We welcome the affirmation of the 2016 arbitral award by the US State Department’s Limits in the Seas No. 150,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
“This is consistent with the Philippines-US Joint Vision Statement, which states that the People’s Republic of China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with the international law of the sea,” it added.
The study published earlier this month said there was no legal basis for China to assert “historic rights” in the disputed waters, citing the Hague ruling which also invalidated them.
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The report added that the East Asian giant’s maritime claims “gravely undermine the rule of law in the oceans.”
Manila’s former top diplomat, Albert del Rosario, had also backed the US State Department’s study — highlighting how a “small country like the Philippines” can make such impact in the world.
China, for its part, vowed to work with the Philippines in properly handling issues concerning South China Sea. It stressed it would not bully smaller nations to resolve disputes.
