MALACANANG welcomed Monday the statement of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, criticizing China’s position on the South China Sea.
Widodo said, “One of China’s main claims to the majority of the South China Sea has no legal basis in international law.”
“This is consistent with the Philippine position that the so-called nine-dash line theory underpinning China’s claims contradicts the principles of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), for which reason we have filed a petition in the UN arbitral tribunal,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
Coloma was reacting on Widodo’s statement, which was made during an interview with a Japanese newspaper as the Indonesian leader embarks on a visit to Japan and China.