BERLIN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The real nature of a dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea is about territorial sovereignty, which is beyond the jurisdiction of an arbitral tribunal, a German expert has said.
Stefan Talmon, director of the Institute of Public International Law at the University of Bonn, said in a paper published recently that despite the Philippines' claims about issues such as "traditional fishing rights," the "actual controversy" in the case is about territorial sovereignty.Full Story
Spotlight: China never a bully in South China Sea: experts
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- At a time of heightened tension in the South China Sea, Washington and its allies have launched publicity campaigns against China, repeatedly using the "bully" tag to refer to China and its activities in the region.
The groundless accusation, however, has been refuted by experts, who pointed to the fact that China has never bullied any country in South China Sea disputes. Instead, it has exercised restraint to the greatest extent possible over this issue.Full story
Chinese envoy calls for int'l cooperation on border control to counter terrorism
UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- All countries must strengthen cooperation on border control and enforcement to effectively stop foreign terrorist fighters from moving across borders, said a Chinese envoy here on Friday.
Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a UN General Assembly meeting on global counter-terrorism strategy.Full story
Commentary: Smearing China not help resolve South China Sea disputes
BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- As an honest and responsible power, China has always abided by international law and basic norms governing international relations, and will continue to do so in the South China Sea issue while safeguarding its territorial sovereignty.
As the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague will announce the so-called "award" on July 12, a new smear campaign against China has emerged, this time by veteran Washington attorney Paul Reichler.Full story
Interview: China, Philippines should settle dispute between themselves: Serbian Scholar
BELGRADE, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A Serbian scholar and politician has urged the Philippines to settle the South China Sea dispute directly with China, warning failure to solve disputes bilaterally would result in permanent and even armed conflict.
Experience in the Balkans has taught us that when two sides fail to settle disputes bilaterally, the disputes would prolong and evolve into permanent conflicts -- even armed conflicts, Zarko Obradovic, an MP and vice president of the Socialist Party of Serbia, told Xinhua in a recent interview.Full story
Spotlight: Expectation of resumption of sound development of China-Philippines relations
BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- As the farce of arbitration on the South China Sea is to end soon, it is time for the new Philippine government of Rodrigo Duterte to stop the wrong foreign policy of its predecessor, so as to bring China-Philippines ties back to the track of sound development.
Since Duterte assumed presidency on Thursday, sparks of hope have arisen for resumption of sound development of relations between China and the Philippines after bilateral ties seriously deteriorated during the rule of former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.Full story
Commentary: Loss outweighs gains for Japan's stubborn meddling in South China Sea
BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Despite Beijing's repeated call that outsider countries play a constructive role on the South China Sea issue, Tokyo seems to have stepped up its meddling moves, at the cost of regional stability and without giving any thought to its relations with China.
In the latest of Japan's series of maneuvers to seek greater influence over the issue, Koro Bessho, Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, said on the first day Japan took over the monthly rotating presidency of the UN Security Council that he would put the issue on the agenda of the 15-member council if there is a request from its members, or other UN members.Full story
Philippine position on South China Sea self-contradictory: vice speaker of Czech parliament
PRAGUE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Vojtech Filip, vice speaker of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and leader of the Czech Communist Party, said Philippine position is self-contradictory on the South China Sea case.
"I am convinced that in this respect the proposed arbitration is extremely premature, outside the framework of international law, and in its own way disrupts that which the Philippines have worked for in the past -- a unified approach to all countries that border the South China Sea," Filip told Xinhua in a recent interview.Full story
Interview: U.S. has complicated South China Sea issue: Australian expert
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States has complicated the situation in the South China Sea instead of playing a constructive role, an Australian expert on maritime security has said.
Sam Bateman, a former commodore who is now a professorial research fellow at the University of Wollongong's Australian National Center for Ocean Resources and Security, told Xinhua recently that the controversial arbitration process initiated by the Philippines in The Hague is highly likely to produce "a lose-lose outcome."Full story
