Quotable quotes on S China Sea arbitration: tribunal's arbitration is unlawful

BEIJING -- Western media have hyped up the South China Sea issue for a long time, with reports full of prejudice and distortion. They have purposely created rumors, smeared China and deliberately overlooked voices of justice.

However, the truth is apparent. China has gained wide support from politicians, experts and scholars in the South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III.

They reached consensus that the so-called arbitration on the South China Sea is unreasonable and unlawful, that the US involvement hampers resolving the issue, and that China's proposal of dialogue is vital to the stability in Asia.

Makoto Taniguchi, former Japanese ambassador to UN

-- Even if the Philippines proposes the arbitration request to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), but its counterpart China does not participate in it, the tribunal should not hear the case. Unfortunately, the United States is backing the Philippines.

John Ross, well-known columnist in Britain, former deputy mayor of London

-- You can not have arbitration if one side says it does not participate, because arbitration is between two parties who want to participate.

This is particularly ridiculous when it comes to the United States because it does not adhere to a large number of international treaties.

This is ridiculous that the United States comes to the South China Sea about 8,000 km from the US shore for political motives. It's deliberately trying to create problems.

Li Mingjiang, associate professor of S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore

-- The core disputes in the South China Sea will still need to be resolved through negotiations. An international legal mechanism is unlikely to resolve these disputes, unless all the parties concerned are willing to take this approach.

The fact China does not participate in arbitration is entirely legal. International laws and even the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) allow countries not to participate. So there is really no disagreement, no dispute on that observation.

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