China blasts Locsin statement

MANILA, Philippines — China slammed the Philippines’ declaration of the South China Sea ruling by an international tribunal as “non-negotiable” with no possibility of “compromise” or “change,” as Beijing highlighted the consensus reached by the two countries on handling the arbitration case.

The Chinese embassy in Manila issued the statement Monday in response to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s pronouncement that certain actions of China within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) “violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights and were thus unlawful.”

“It has to be highlighted that China and the Philippines have already reached consensus on properly handling the so-called arbitration case, which has laid down solid ground for the turning-around of bilateral relations,” the embassy said.

In recent years, the embassy said China-Philippines relations have maintained healthy and steady momentum, with exchanges and cooperation in various fields making continuous progress.

“This serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and contributes to peace and stability in the South China Sea. The two sides have also established the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM), returning to the right track of resolving relevant issues through bilateral negotiation and consultation,” it said.

“It is hoped that the Philippines could make concerted efforts with China in jointly securing the hard-won sound momentum of bilateral relations and upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the embassy said.

On Sunday, Locsin said China’s compliance with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) to which both parties are signatories.