The Department of Foreign Affairs categorically rejected assertions by the Chinese embassy in Manila against the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. The statement came late Monday as Beijing marked its stance ahead of the award's 10th anniversary.
The DFA said the award, rendered under Annex VII of UNCLOS, is final and binding. It forms an unassailable part of international law and provides legal clarity on maritime rights in the South China Sea.
The rejection followed social media posts by the Chinese embassy that belittled the award and claimed Scarborough Shoal as Chinese territory. The embassy posts, attributed to deputy spokesperson Guo Wei, questioned what the Philippines has gained in the past decade and suggested the award strains bilateral ties.
Scarborough Shoal lies about 120 nautical miles off Zambales province. The 2016 ruling classified it as a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese, and Vietnamese fishers and limited it to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.
The Philippines noted that the award affirmed its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. It added that respect for such rulings preserves the integrity of UNCLOS.