Envoys stress need to respect UNCLOS after Bajo de Masinloc incident

ABS-CBN News

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='A Chinese Coast Guard vessel uses a water cannon on a BFAR ship during its resupply mission to the Panatag Shoal. ABS-CBN News.' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/12/09/120923_water-cannon.jpg' ><figcaption>A Chinese Coast Guard vessel uses a water cannon on a BFAR ship during its resupply mission to the Panatag Shoal. <em>ABS-CBN News.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines' partners this weekend reiterated their calls for respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea in the wake of a confrontation between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea on Saturday said the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia blocked a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources trip to distribute food and fuel to Filipino fishers near Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag, Scarborough Shoal).</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/09/23/ph-slams-chinese-water-cannon-lrad-attacks-on-bfar-vessels'>PH slams Chinese water cannon, LRAD attacks on BFAR vessels</a></li></ul><p>The US, the Philippines' treaty ally, condemned China's "aggressive, illegal actions" on the BFAR boats operating within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, with US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson saying the Chinese ships' behavior "violates international law and endangers lives and livelihood."</p><p>UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils also noted the "unsafe actions" by the Chinese Coast Guard, which she said "undermines regional peace and stability."</p><p>Australian Ambassador HK Yu and Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa both said they were "seriously concerned" and stressed the need to respect UNCLOS.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/09/23/chinese-ships-try-to-stop-bfar-resupply-at-scarborough'>Chinese ships, water cannon try to stop BFAR resupply at Scarborough</a></li></ul><p>"We call for all parties to refrain from actions which risk safety and undermine regional stability, and for peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with UNCLOS," the New Zealand Embassy said.</p><p>Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said his country "condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions" by the People's Republic of China and reaffirmed support for the arbitral tribunal that China rejects but that he said "is final and binding on the parties."</p><p>EU Ambassador Luc Veron made a similar point, adding that the 2016 tribunal ruling is legally binding and is "useful for peacefully resolving disputes [while] water cannons aren't."</p><p>The envoys of Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Finland made similar calls to respect UNCLOS and the ruling.</p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2896878' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div><p>China has refused to acknowledge the ruling on the arbitral case that the Philippines filed in 2013 against its sweeping claims over the South China Sea. </p><p>It has also said that countries from outside the region should let claimant states in the South China Sea settle issues through bilateral talks.</p><p>"We stress that Bajo de Masinloc is a high-tide feature with territorial sea, per the 2016 Arbitral Award. It forms an integral part of the Philippine national territory under the Constitution," the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said Saturday.</p><p>It added that China's "illegal exercise of maritime law enforcement powers" within the Philippine EEZ violate international law.</p>

<p>The US, the Philippines' treaty ally, condemned China's "aggressive, illegal actions" on the BFAR boats operating within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, with US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson saying the Chinese ships' behavior "violates international law and endangers lives and livelihood."</p><p>UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils also noted the "unsafe actions" by the Chinese Coast Guard, which she said "undermines regional peace and stability."</p><p>Australian Ambassador HK Yu and Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa both said they were "seriously concerned" and stressed the need to respect UNCLOS.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/09/23/chinese-ships-try-to-stop-bfar-resupply-at-scarborough'>Chinese ships, water cannon try to stop BFAR resupply at Scarborough</a></li></ul><p>"We call for all parties to refrain from actions which risk safety and undermine regional stability, and for peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with UNCLOS," the New Zealand Embassy said.</p><p>Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said his country "condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions" by the People's Republic of China and reaffirmed support for the arbitral tribunal that China rejects but that he said "is final and binding on the parties."</p><p>EU Ambassador Luc Veron made a similar point, adding that the 2016 tribunal ruling is legally binding and is "useful for peacefully resolving disputes [while] water cannons aren't."</p><p>The envoys of Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Finland made similar calls to respect UNCLOS and the ruling.</p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2896878' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div><p>China has refused to acknowledge the ruling on the arbitral case that the Philippines filed in 2013 against its sweeping claims over the South China Sea. </p><p>It has also said that countries from outside the region should let claimant states in the South China Sea settle issues through bilateral talks.</p><p>"We stress that Bajo de Masinloc is a high-tide feature with territorial sea, per the 2016 Arbitral Award. It forms an integral part of the Philippine national territory under the Constitution," the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said Saturday.</p><p>It added that China's "illegal exercise of maritime law enforcement powers" within the Philippine EEZ violate international law.</p>

<p>The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea on Saturday said the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia blocked a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources trip to distribute food and fuel to Filipino fishers near Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag, Scarborough Shoal).</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/09/23/ph-slams-chinese-water-cannon-lrad-attacks-on-bfar-vessels'>PH slams Chinese water cannon, LRAD attacks on BFAR vessels</a></li></ul>

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='A Chinese Coast Guard vessel uses a water cannon on a BFAR ship during its resupply mission to the Panatag Shoal. ABS-CBN News.' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/12/09/120923_water-cannon.jpg' ><figcaption>A Chinese Coast Guard vessel uses a water cannon on a BFAR ship during its resupply mission to the Panatag Shoal. <em>ABS-CBN News.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines' partners this weekend reiterated their calls for respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea in the wake of a confrontation between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.</p>

The Philippines' partners reiterated their calls for respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling after a fresh incident at Bajo de Masinloc.

Envoys stress need to respect UNCLOS after Bajo de Masinloc incident | ABS-CBN News

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Envoys stress need to respect UNCLOS after Bajo de Masinloc incident

Envoys stress need to respect UNCLOS after Bajo de Masinloc incident