China claims Philippine arbitration case a 'political drama' orchestrated by US
MANILA, Philippines — China again downplayed the 2016 Hague ruling on the South China Sea, calling it "illegal, null, and void" as it accused the United States of using it as a geopolitical tool.
China has refused to recognize the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the case that the Philippines filed in 2013 to question the sweeping nine-dash-line. It did not participate in the case either.
"We would also like to point out that the South China Sea arbitration case brought by the Philippines was pure political drama orchestrated by the US," Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a press conference Tuesday.
"The US invokes its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines at every turn in an attempt to intimidate China, but it will not weaken our resolve and will to safeguard China’s legitimate and lawful rights and interests," he added.
RELATED: How the Hague court ruled on the Philippines' 15 arguments
The Hague ruling was released in the early days of the Duterte administration, which announced an independent foreign policy that saw the Philippines developing warmer relations with China and Russia. President Rodrigo Duterte also played down the ruling, saying the Philippines cannot provoke China.
The Philippine Coast Guard recounted an incident on Monday, saying a China vessel blocked them and directed a military-grade laser against them while they were on a rotation and resupply mission in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal.
The laser caused temporary blindness among Filipino crew onboard.
Beijing denied the incident, saying the China Coast Guard was "professional and restrained." It said they were defending their territorial waters and that Philippine ships were intruding in the area.
The United States was the first country to back the Philippines, calling China’s actions "provocative and unsafe." Manila has a decades-long mutual defense pact with Washington and the latter continuously reiterates its "ironclad" commitment to its oldest ally in Southeast Asia.
"The PRC’s dangerous operational behavior directly threatens regional peace and stability, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law, and undermines the rules-based international order," US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said.
READ: US: China's laser use vs Coast Guard vessel 'provocative, unsafe'
The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest a day after it was publicized,expressing disappointment as the incident happened just weeks after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. went on a state visit to China.
Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian on Tuesday afternoon to express concern over the “increasing frequency and intensity” of China’s actions against the PCG and Filipino fishermen.
The embassy said the two discussed ways to implement agreements made during Marcos Jr.’s state visit and ways forward on how to “properly manage maritime differences between China and the Philippines.”
RELATED: After fresh incident with China Coast Guard, DFA asserts Ayungin part of Philippines
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