China says PH misleading int'l community, denies claiming entire South China Sea

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Thursday denied that China was claiming the entire South China Sea (SCS) and all waters within the “dotted line” as territory. 

“China never claimed that the whole of the South China Sea belongs to China,” Wang said during a press conference.

“The Philippine side accuses China of claiming all waters inside the dotted line as territory. It is not in line with the fact and is deliberate distortion of China’s position,” he said.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who was in Germany said the Philippines has not rejected China’s proposal to resolve issues in SCS but China’s “expansive claim on its 10-dash line” is unacceptable.

''We have not rejected any proposals that China has made for us but the premise is something that we question," Marcos said.

"That premise that China has made is that their territory follows what is now called as the ten-dash line. This is not recognized by any country, any international body, certainly not by the Philippines,'' he added.

For Wang, the Philippines was allegedly misleading the international community.

“The Philippine side should stop misleading the international community, using the SCS issue to instigate disputes, and counting on external forces to undermine peace and stability in the South SCS region,” he said.

GMA News Online has sought comment from National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Teresita Daza on the matter but they have yet to provide a statement as of posting time.

China claims most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Parts of the waters within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone have been renamed as the West Philippine Sea.

Wang claimed China was the first country to discover, name, explore and exploit Nanhai Zhudao or SCS islands and relevant waters.

“China has internal waters, territorial sea and contiguous zone, based on Nanhai Zhudao; China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, based on Nanhai Zhudao; And China has historic rights in the South China Sea,” he said.

“The above positions are consistent with relevant international law and practice. As early as in 1948, the Chinese government officially released the dotted line, which has been upheld by successive Chinese governments,” he added.

However, in 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected. 

Tensions between China and the Philippines increased recently as the two countries traded accusations such as alleged intrusion, shadowing, blocking, and performing dangerous maneuvers.

The most recent incident took place earlier this month after four Philippine Navy personnel aboard Unaizah May 4 were injured after water cannon blasts from two Chinese Coast Guard ships shattered its windshields and prevented it from delivering supplies in Ayungin Shoal.

The Chinese action was condemned by the United States, Japan, Australia, and the European Union.

"To address the South China Sea issue, we are firm in upholding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and stand ready to address the maritime differences through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts," Wang said.

In January, the Philippines and China sought to de-escalate tensions in the SCS.

Both sides agreed to improve an existing maritime communication mechanism to prevent incidents and miscalculations in the disputed waters. —VAL, GMA Integrated News