China/Philippines/South China Sea: China Must Abide by Sea Ruling, Philippine Justice Says

Feb 11, 2015 | Andrea Tan, Bloomberg
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China must comply with any ruling on competing territorial claims with the Philippines in the South China Sea even if it refuses to participate in international arbitration over the dispute, Philippines Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio said.

“It doesn’t matter if China doesn’t appear, if the tribunal finds that there is jurisdiction, the tribunal will proceed,” Carpio told Bloomberg Television in Singapore Thursday. “We don’t want anyone, any state to resort to armed force in settling this dispute.”

China has refused to participate in the case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that the Philippines brought in January 2013. China rejects international mediation and has said the dispute can only be resolved through bilateral negotiations.