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China’s flagship Communist Party newspaper has joined a sweeping rhetorical offensive against rival maritime claimant the Philippines, days ahead of the 10th anniversary of a South China Sea arbitration ruling rejected by Beijing as “illegal”.
In twin commentaries published on Friday, the People’s Daily branded the July 12 decision of 2016 a “destabilising force” and demanded that Manila pivot to direct talks.
The commentaries from official media cap a multi-agency initiative from Beijing in recent days, including successive critiques of Philippine maritime claims by a Ministry of Natural Resources think tank and a June 30 state assessment of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) warning of “abusive practices”.
China did not take part in the arbitration case at The Hague initiated by the Philippines in 2013, nor does it recognise the verdict, which invalidated key elements of Beijing’s claims in the contested waters.
Yet the ruling remains a permanent friction point, souring Beijing’s relations with Manila and other rival South China Sea claimants.
China “would never be bound” by the ruling “under any circumstances”, one of Friday’s People’s Daily commentaries asserted.
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