UN chief calls on East Sea dispute parties abide by law

The UN chief was responding to the final ruling on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China over a dispute in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issued on July 12.

At a regular press conference in the UN headquarters in New York, the US, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief has repeatedly called on the parties to settle disputes in a peaceful and amicable manner and in conformity with international law, including the UN Charter.

The UN Secretary General stressed that while dialogues are underway, the involved parties should stay away from activities that would provoke tensions. 

He expressed his hope that the on-going consultation on a code of conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China that is based on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) will help promote mutual understanding between the parties.

The arbitral tribunal under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas enclosed by the "nine-dash” line.

There was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the East Sea waters or their resources, said the five member tribunal of maritime affairs experts at The Hague in the ruling over the case filed by the Philippines to contest China’s claims and activity in the East Sea.

VNA