China's Response to US Accusations Regarding Second Thomas Shoal

The US Department of State issued a statement on October 22 saying that China Coast Guard and maritime militia adopted “dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing a Philippine resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal”, which is “a feature well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and on the Philippine continental shelf”. 

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the statement also includes that the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea made clear that “there exists no legal basis for any entitlement by China to maritime zones in the area of Second Thomas Shoal.” The US reaffirms that Article IV of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine Coat Guard, armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft in the South China Sea.” What’s China’s response?

Mao Ning: The US State Department’s statement goes against the spirit of international law including the UNCLOS. In disregard of facts, it made baseless attacks against China’s legitimate and lawful law enforcement activities to safeguard our rights at Ren’ai Jiao in China’s Nansha Qundao. It’s a sinister attempt to endorse the Philippines’ acts of infringement and provocation. We deplore and reject it. Let me reiterate the following points.

First, Ren’ai Jiao has always been China’s territory. It is an integral part of China’s Nansha Qundao geographically, economically, politically and historically. This has been established as a widely held international common view and fully accords with provisions on archipelagos in UNCLOS. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao and the adjacent waters, including Ren’ai Jiao. This was developed and established throughout the long course of history and is consistent with international law including the UN Charter. Territorial sovereignty is the basis and premise of maritime rights. Any proposition or practice that attempts to negate a country’s territorial sovereignty with maritime rights has no legal basis whatsoever. The so-called South China Sea arbitration award is illegal, null and void. It is pointless for the US to keep trying to make an issue out of this illegal award. It cannot shake in the slightest China’s firm resolve and will to defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Second, the Philippines’ infringement and provocation at Ren’ai Jiao have been emboldened and supported by the US’s connivance and support. For quite some time, China and the Philippines have managed the situation at Ren’ai Jiao through communication relatively well and reached understandings. Since the beginning of this year, however, the US has been blatantly emboldening the Philippines’ acts of infringing upon China’s sovereignty and inciting and supporting the Philippines’ attempts to repair and reinforce its warship that was deliberately “grounded” on Ren’ai Jiao. The US even sent over military aircraft and vessels to assist and support the Philippines, and repeatedly sought to threaten China by citing the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. What the US does has considerably bolstered the Philippines as it infringes upon China’s sovereignty and makes provocation at Ren’ai Jiao and had egregious impacts. 

Third, Ren’ai Jiao is a bilateral issue between China and the Philippines. The US has no place in it. For some time, the Philippines has kept sending public service ships and warships to intrude into the adjacent waters of Ren’ai Jiao in an attempt to deliver construction materials for repairing and reinforcing the illegally “grounded” military vessel on a large scale. This has seriously violated China’s territorial sovereignty, breached international law and the stipulations of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and broken the Philippines’ own promise. China has the right to take necessary law en…