The Philippines is urging China to accept a tribunal ruling that rejected China’s claims to historic rights in the South China Sea.
An arbitration tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled on Tuesday that China has no legal basis for its claims to most of the sea and that it had violated international law.
China is firmly opposed to the ruling and vowed to ignore it.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday issued a statement. It calls for discussion on the matter at a 2-day Asia-Europe Meeting Summit that opens in the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, on Friday.
The statement said Manila wants to discuss the need for the parties involved to respect the tribunal’s decision.
The foreign department also suggested the possibility of holding direct talks with the Chinese side. The statement said the country’s foreign secretary will meet with leaders of other countries to exchange views.
China has indicated that it will not enter into talks based on the ruling and will not hesitate to take tough action.
Source and image: NHK
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