China offers Philippines talks if South China Sea tribunal ruling ignored: official media
Manila must set aside an expected international tribunal ruling on the South China Sea before stalled talks with Beijing can resume over their long-running maritime disputes, mainland media reported yesterday.
China Daily reported the precondition for resuming the negotiations yesterday, citing anonymous sources.
“Beijing is ready to start negotiations on issues such as joint development and cooperation in scientific research if the new government [in Manila] puts the tribunal’s ruling aside before returning to the table for talks,” the sources were quoted as saying.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is due to rule on July 12 on a highly charged case brought by the Philippines against China, and the decision is widely expected to favour Manila.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims with Beijing in an area that has one of the world’s busiest trade routes.
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Beijing has not participated in the case, claiming the tribunal has no jurisdiction and insisting that the disputes be solved bilaterally. It has scrambled recently to rally support around the globe.
As a result, at least 48 nations and more than 130 political parties and organisations in Asia have offered at least partial support to Beijing’s position, according to state media.
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In a congratulatory message to new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, President Xi Jinping said ties between the two countries were at a key point and he was willing to work with Duterte to improve relations. But Duterte has so far sent mixed signals over the maritime disputes, insisting that he will not discuss the case until a ruling is made.
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Beijing said previously that the door to bilateral talks was always open even though there have been no negotiations over the maritime disputes for years.
In the Hague case, the Philippines is contesting China’s claim to an area shown on its maps as a “nine-dash” line covering hundreds of disputed islands and reefs.
Jay Batongbacal, an international law expert at the University of the Philippines, said it was counterproductive and unreasonable for Beijing to set a prerequisite for talks, especially with the ruling imminent and such uncertainty over the outcome. “Publicly stating that junking the arbitration as a condition for resuming negotiations gives no room for face-saving on either side.”
Batongbacal said that such a position, which suggested the Philippines would not get anything out of the talks unless it “sells out” and accepts China’s terms, would cast doubt on Beijing’s sincerity for true negotiations and cement the perception of China as flaunting international law.
“Setting that precondition would be disastrous not only for the Philippines in the short term, but to China over the long term.”
