Some foreign analysts call Beijing's rejection of the recent arbitral tribunal ruling in the South China Sea dispute "China's first international test" as an emerging power. Some foreign media wonder whether a resurgent China will uphold the international order. Will fears of a "China threat" now increase?
All efforts on the part of all parties concerned must be concentrated on conflict prevention and on building regional and global institutions that will enhance dialogue, confidence and peace.
The South China Sea issue has become one of the major irritants in the China-U.S. relations in recent years.
Improved relations between China and the Philippines are in sight through deeper people-to-people engagement, according to former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, who has urged the countries' leaders to meet soon.
A Hong Kong legal organization has queried the jurisdiction of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague to deal with an arbitration initiated unilaterally by the Philippines against China over the South China Sea disputes, citing the factual and legal errors of the case.
China hopes US will keep its promise: State councilor
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague has no jurisdiction over South China Sea disputes between China and the Philippines, which unilaterally filed an arbitration case, a Hong Kong law expert said.
The South China Sea arbitration unilaterally raised by the Philippines will set a serious, wrong and bad example, and China has every reason to oppose the arbitration, said a Chinese diplomat.
Any ruling by the tribunal will be illegal, null and void from the outset, as it is exceeding and abusing its powers since it has no jurisdiction over the case.
Fuxing Road's Cartoon on South China sea
Just as anticipated, the South China Sea arbitral tribunal delivered an outrageously one-sided ruling.
At the issuance of the final award of the South China Sea Arbitration (the Arbitration), we, the undersigned scholars and students of international law, hereby emphasize that the ad hoc Arbitral Tribunal (the Tribunal) has no jurisdiction over the relevant disputes, and that the Award has no binding force.