China will set up an “international maritime judicial center” to protect the country’s maritime rights and sovereignty claims, China’s top judge told the National People’s Congress on Sunday. Zhou Qiang, the chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court, made the comment while delivering the annual SPC work report. China’s Foreign Ministry clarified that the center […]
THE Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration has set on Nov. 24 the start of the hearing on the merits of the Philippines’ arbitration case against China’s sweeping claim over nearly the entire South China Sea, even as Manila vowed to pursue the case to the end. Foreign Affairs spokesman DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the […]
The lawyer leading the Philippine team in its fierce legal battle against China belongs to a select group of elite lawyers with extensive experience in representing sovereign states before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos) in Hamburg, Germany, according to Chambers Global, which ranks law firms and lawyers across the world. […]
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled on late Thursday (October 29, 2015) that it had jurisdiction over a case filed by the Philippines, which contests China’s claims to nearly 90 percent of the South China Sea. In response to the aforementioned PCA’s decision, on October 30, 2015, China released the Statement of the […]
Photo from the Permanent Court of Arbitration shows Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario addressing the tribunal in The Hague last July. Behind him is the counsel team for the Philippines and the empty seats for China’s representatives. MANILA, Philippines – In a legal setback for Beijing, an arbitration court in the Netherlands ruled on […]
The Philippines may be forced to buy missiles and warplanes to protect its national sovereignty if the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) says it has no jurisdiction on the complaint lodged by the country against China, Supreme Court Associate c has warned. In an interview with […]
The Philippines has raised the alarm anew over China’s massive reclamation activities in disputed territories in the South China Sea, calling on Beijing to “exercise self-restraint.” “The Philippines reiterates its serious concern on China’s massive reclamation activities and planned construction of facilities in those features. These activities cause irreparable damage to the marine environment and […]
China has refused to participate in an arbitration launched by the Philippines regarding their disputes in the South China Sea. Japan has refused to acknowledge that it has a dispute with China regarding Senkaku/Diaoyu. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has rejected Japan’s offer to refer their dispute over Dokdo/Takeshima to the International Court of […]
Recently, I was invited to Hong Kong to participate in a discussion with eminent scholars on the topic of fisheries management in the South China Sea. In order to broaden our perspective, a dear friend and highly respected Chinese professor kindly talked us through Chinese claims in the South China Sea. Her summary of the […]
For decades, China’s foreign policy has been shaped and guided by Deng Xiaoping’s – the late Chinese paramount leader, who was responsible for opening up the country to forces of globalization – famous dictum: “Hide your strength, bide your time.” Recognizing the imperative of national development, after decades of disastrous policies under the megalomaniac Mao […]