Philippine claim groundless

China's stance of peaceful resolution of territory dispute has been misinterpreted, but it will never compromise on sovereignty

On April 10, China and the Philippines became embroiled in a standoff in disputed waters in the South China Sea. China has shown restraint in handling the incident. But the messages sent by the Philippine government and media have been provoking and its actions, such as urging other countries to 'take a stand' and extending the dispute to the entire South China Sea, have only intensified the situation.

The harassment of fishermen from Hainan Province on April 10th is just one of 700 similar cases in the last 12 years when Chinese fishermen have been arrested, robbed or assaulted by the armed forces of neighboring countries while fishing in the South China Sea. These countries have been taking advantage of China's restraint and have seriously violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. To respond to these blatant challenges to its sovereignty, China has stepped up protecting its territory and its jurisdiction over the adjacent waters as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea.