China on Sunday summoned Japan’s envoy in Beijing and lodged a formal protest after Tokyo joined 13 other countries in reaffirming a landmark international ruling rejecting Beijing’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea.China, which has accused Japan of interfering in regional affairs and undermining peace and stability, insisted its sovereignty over the disputed waters “has never changed” despite the court’s 2016 ruling.The diplomatic row erupted after Japan, along with the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and nine other countries, marked the 10th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling by reiterating that China’s extensive maritime claims have “no legal basis” under international law. The European Union also separately backed the ruling, prompting an angry response from Beijing.
China summons Japanese envoy
China’s Foreign Ministry summoned the chief minister of the Japanese embassy in Beijing to record what it described as “solemn representations” and express “strong discontent and protest” at Japan’s position.Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Beijing accused Tokyo of undermining regional peace and stability while challenging China’s territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea.Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi had previously said that China’s refusal to accept the 2016 ruling goes “against the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes” and “undermines the rule of law in the international community.” Beijing dismissed the comments and insisted Japan has no role in the dispute.“On July 12, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made a statement ten years after the 2016 Arbitration Award on the South China Sea.” The statement blatantly endorses the illegal “award,” attacks China’s legal claims, and mischaracterizes Japan as a “legitimate actor using the South China Sea.” “China deeply deplores and firmly opposes it,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, according to Chinese government spokesperson Global Times.China also accused Japan of reviving its wartime ambitions.“Now, decades later, Japan, in the name of an ‘interested party,’ is again attempting to meddle in the South China Sea. “This reminds people of Japan’s history of aggression and expansion and increases their vigilance against Japan’s neo-militarist agenda,” the spokesperson said.
Why did the fight break out?
The diplomatic protest followed a joint statement by 14 countries reaffirming the July 12, 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which concluded that China’s claim to the “nine-dash line” over most of the South China Sea has no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).The United States, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom described the ruling as “an important milestone” that is “final, legally binding and conclusive between China and the Philippines with respect to maritime rights and claims” examined by the court.The countries reiterated that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully under international law and opposed the use of military forces, coast guards and maritime militias to intimidate other states in disputed waters.Separately, the 27-member European Union called the ruling a “landmark decision in the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
China rejects court ruling
Beijing has consistently refused to recognize the 2016 arbitration award, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction and that China’s historic rights to the South China Sea remain valid.The Chinese Foreign Ministry again dismissed the ruling, describing it as “a piece of waste paper that is illegal, invalid and non-binding.”China also urged other countries to stop “undermining peace and stability” in the South China Sea and respect what it called its territorial sovereignty.To reinforce its narrative, China’s Foreign Ministry released a video titled “What the Waves of the South China Sea Tell Us,” which portrays the waterway as an inseparable part of Chinese civilization and history.
Why the South China Sea is important
The South China Sea is among the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, with around a third of global maritime trade passing through it each year. China claims most of the sea under its controversial “nine-dashed line,” but those claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.The 2016 arbitration case, brought by the Philippines, ruled that China had no historical rights to resources within the nine-dash line and that many of its actions violated UNCLOS. Although the ruling is legally binding, Beijing has ignored it and continued to expand its military and coast guard presence in the disputed waters.
