China’s government has ignored a deadline to outline its territorial claims in the South China Sea to an international court.
The government had until yesterday to submit its case to a court of arbitration in The Hague in the Netherlands.
The case was bought by the Philippines, but a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing, Qin Gang, said the court had no jurisdiction in the territorial dispute.
“China will not participate in the arbitration launched by the Philippines,” Qin said. “China supports resolving disputes through consultation with the countries involved on the basis of respecting historical facts and international laws,” he said.
China had an “unshakable determination” to protect its territorial integrity and would respond to any provocation.
The Philippines has urged the tribunal to back its claims that areas of the South China Sea form part of its continental shelf and are within its 370km exclusive economic zone.
The Foreign Ministry in Vietnam has also told the court in the Netherlands that it rejects China’s claims over the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea.
Beijing released a paper on the issue last week, arguing the question of territorial sovereignty should not be addressed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.