CHINA yesterday issued a white paper to expound on its position, which calls for settling relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea through negotiation.

    “It is the Philippines that created and stirred up trouble,” said Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin at a press conference.

    “Violating bilateral consensus in recent years, the Philippines has repeatedly taken moves that complicate and intensify relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea,” he said.

    The white paper was published one day after an award was issued in arbitration unilaterally initiated by the previous Philippine Government.

    Describing the award as “a piece of waste paper,” Liu urged other countries not to “take the opportunity to threaten China.”

    China hopes other countries can work with it to protect the peace and stability of the South China Sea and “not let the South China Sea become the origin of a war,” he said.

    The vice minister also said China reserves the right to declare an Air Defense Identification Zone in the South China Sea in accordance with the extent of the threat.

    The white paper, issued by the State Council Information Office, stated that the core of the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea lies in the territorial issues caused by the Philippines’ invasion and illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands).

    “The Philippines’ territorial claim over part of Nansha Qundao is groundless from the perspectives of either history or international law,” it said.

    The two countries held multiple rounds of consultations on the proper management of disputes at sea and reached consensus on resolving relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation, according to the white paper.

    China is the first to have discovered, named, explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them.

    Liu said settling disputes in the South China Sea through negotiation is the theme of the white paper, as well as the policy of the Chinese Government.

    Also yesterday, the United Nations made it clear that it has nothing to do with The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

    In a post on its official Twitter-like Sina Weibo account, the United Nations pointed out that the International Court of Justice is the U.N.’s principal judicial organ.

    In fact, the PCA in The Hague just happens to be the neighbor of the International Court of Justice, both located in the Peace Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands.

    On Tuesday, Taiwan said it “absolutely will not accept” the decision in the South China Sea arbitration and the award “is not legally binding and an out-and-out lie,” particularly in denying the island status of Taiping where there is fresh water, chickens are raised and vegetables are cultivated.

    The award seriously damages the rights to the island and surrounding waters. The territory and sovereignty must be protected, it said.

    (Xinhua)

    (Read more on P3: Arbitration provokes residents’ outrage)