BRUSSELS, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Diplomacy, instead of courthouse, is the right path to solve the South China Sea disputes between China and its neighbors, a European Parliament member said Thursday.
Helmut Scholz, member of the European Parliamentary Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left, told Xinhua that the award of an arbitral tribunal in The Hague cannot replace negotiations, which is evidently clear when taking into account the reactions of all the parties involved.
On Tuesday, the tribunal handling the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government issued its final award, denying China's long-standing historic rights in the South China Sea.
"The negotiations should focus on three areas: avoiding military confrontation, guaranteeing safety of passage and emphasizing mutually beneficial cooperation," Scholz added.
He believed that the time has come for Beijing and Manila to work together through mutual cooperation and confidence building in a bid to end the territorial dispute.
"As we have seen in common fisheries policies and closer cooperation on environmental protection and marine research, such an approach is entirely logical," he cited his experience as a member in the Committee on International Trade of European Parliament.
Scholz's opinion echoed a white paper issued by the Chinese government on Wednesday as a response to the ill-founded award, saying China adheres to the position of settling the South China Sea disputes through negotiation.
"Mutual engagement can only help contribute to the strengthening of international law and, crucially, to help build on the foundations of bilateral and multilateral relationships which are based on lawful and objective policies," Scholz concluded.
