In a recent speech, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed what he called the “four respects” as the rules to be applied in dealing with the South China Dispute. The “four respects” are respect for history, respect for international law, respect for direct dialogue between the parties concerned, and respect for efforts made by China and ASEAN to safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea.

The “four respects” are a response to the escalation of the South China Sea Dispute. The Philippines is insisting on international arbitration of China’s territory and seeking common cause with the US and Japan in their efforts to hem China in. In August 2014 the Philippines and the US proposed a freeze on the dispute, hoping to gain ASEAN support to put pressure on China. It is obvious that international arbitration on the South China Dispute would be a violation of China’s sovereignty.

The “four respects” were presented during the 2nd China-Australia diplomatic and strategic dialogue. Australia too has made irresponsible comments on the South China Sea Dispute. In July of this year, the Prime Minister of Australia said that China should abide by international law to solve the South China Sea Dispute in his visit to the US, a statement which interfered with the proper resolution of the dispute. Respect for history is given priority for the following reasons. History offers a solid base for a country’s sovereignty. Extensive historical data proves that China has legitimate sovereignty over the South Sea. However, some countries are illegally occupying the reef of China’s Nansha Islands.

According to the "Law of non-retroactivity" principle, the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea has no legal binding on events prior to 1982. China issued a clear declaration that it would not accept any arbitration of its sovereignty when ratifying the convention. Only by respecting history can the countries involved conduct effective dialogue with each other. Other countries should give up the unrealistic idea of seeking international arbitration over the South China Sea Dispute.

The article is edited and translated from《有尊重历史，才能再谈法规（望海楼）》, source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, author: Su Xiaohui