People’s Daily calls for return to negotiating table to resolve South China Sea dispute (2)

Additionally, any resolutions reached through negotiations and consultations among related countries will best respect the wishes and sovereignty of each country, which in turn will make it more easily accepted by the peoples of those countries and cause far less turbulence.

For years, China has spared no effort to settle, on the basis of respect for historical facts, relevant disputes with countries concerned through negotiation in accordance with international law. This demonstrates China’s sense of responsibility as a major country.

In 2002, China and the 10 ASEAN member states signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The Declaration stipulates: “The Parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

These commitments made by parties directly concerned were also witnessed and supervised by other signatories.

In addition, in a series of bilateral documents China and the Philippines agreed to resolve disputes in a similar manner, while settlement through a third-party mechanism was specifically excluded by both sides.

However, the Aquino administration broke this promise for its own illegal interests in the Nansha Islands and unilaterally filed the arbitration against China. The Philippine government appears to have honored UNCLOS, but in fact has damaged its authority and integrity by misinterpreting and abusing the arbitration procedures set out in the convention.

What’s more ridiculous is that the so-called South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal, neglecting the basic facts and the principles of international law, not only abused its power by interfering in territorial disputes and maritime delimitation, but has now perpetuated falsehoods concerning the sovereignty of the islands and reefs.

This evidence clearly indicates that the so-called arbitration was not intended to settle disputes, but to meddle in the waters of the South China Sea.

To achieve its insidious motives, the Aquino administration made up irresponsible claims that with its stronger national strength China has been bullying the Philippines by sticking to resolving disputes through bilateral negotiation. Such a nonsensical supposition and well-worn cliche is indeed completely twisting China's efforts through diplomatic channels.

Since its founding over 60 years ago, China has signed boundary treaties with 12 of its 14 land neighbors through bilateral negotiations and consultations in the spirit of equality and mutual understanding. Through this way, about 90 percent of China's land boundaries have been delimited and demarcated.

China and Vietnam, for instance, have delimited through negotiations the boundaries between their territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves in the Beibu Gulf. China and South Korea are now also negotiating maritime delimitation of the Yellow Sea. All of those neighbors, big or small, have never once accused China of bullying the weak in negotiations.

Upholding the ideal that countries of different sizes should treat each other as equals, China has devoted itself to settling border issues on equal-footing. This diplomatic philosophy has helped China attain international reputation.

In the future, China will persist along the path of peaceful development, insist on resolving disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful manners, and proactively develop friendly relations.

China believes that only through negotiation and consultation can the South China Sea be built into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

The fabrications of the arbitration tribunal will eventually fade away, while the friendly and peaceful message conveyed in the white paper will be embraced by the world. China will always keep a door open to negotiation and consultation.

The peace and stability of the South China Sea is closely linked with the mutual wellbeing of China and other countries around the region, as such negotiations and consultations are the only way to resolve disputes.