South China Sea dispute: China wants to get back on negotiation table, claims right to air-defence zone

A defiant China yesterday said the UN-backed tribunal’s verdict should be “dumped into garbage” and asserted that it has the right to declare a unilateral air-defence zone over the strategic South China Sea after its expansive maritime claims in the region was shunned by a five-member international jury

Beijing: A defiant China yesterday said the UN-backed tribunal’s verdict should be “dumped into garbage” and asserted that it has the right to declare a unilateral air-defence zone over the strategic South China Sea after its expansive maritime claims in the region was shunned by a five-member international jury.

China has refused to abide by the ruling of the PCA tribunal in The Hague. File pic/AFP

Rejecting international appeals to implement the verdict, Defence Minister General Chang Wanquan said, “China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea will not be affected by the ruling under any circumstances.” “We do not recognise or implement the award.

We hope it is only a white paper and will not be enforced. Just dump it into garbage and let us come back to the track of negotiations,” Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said.

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