China says Philippines ‘closed the door’ on territory talks

As international arbitration over China's claims in areas of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines looms closer, Beijing has accused Manila of "closing the door" to talks aimed at settling their differences through negotiation.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is expected to rule at the end of June or early July on a unilateral arbitration case submitted by the Philippines on its territorial disputes with Beijing in the region.

Meanwhile, in the East China Sea, a Chinese fighter jet carried out an “unsafe” intercept of a US spy plane on routine patrol in international airspace, the US military said.

The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement in English and Chinese saying both countries had agreed in 1995 to settle disputes in the region “in a peaceful and friendly manner through consultations on the basis of equity and mutual respect”.

Around €4.5 trillion in maritime trade passes through the South China Sea every year, and the area contains significant oil and gas reserves. China is at odds with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei over claims in the South China Sea.

The area appears on Chinese maps as a nine-dash line encompassing large swathes of Southeast Asia and covering hundreds of disputed islands and reefs.

“However, ever since its initiation of the arbitration, the Philippines has unilaterally closed the door of settling the South China Sea issue with China through negotiation, and has, while turning its back on the bilateral consensus regarding managing differences, taken a series of provocative moves that infringed upon China’s legitimate rights and interests,” the statement said.

“This has led to dramatic deterioration of China-Philippines relations as well as of peace and stability in the South China Sea. China is firmly opposed to the Philippines’ unilateral actions,” it said.

Artificial islands

Adding to the dispute are US claims that China is trying to militarise the South China Sea by building artificial islands near contested reefs, while Beijing has been critical of US naval patrols and exercises in Asia.

This is a busy week for exercises in the region. Over 5,000 American, Philippines and Australian troops are taking part in the annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) training exercises in the area, seen as a show of force in the face of China’s territorial claims.

Part of the drill takes place at the island of Palawan which is near the disputed Spratly Islands, where China has built a facilities on artificial islands.

This week also sees the 22nd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) involving US, Philippine and Malaysian navies.

The Chinese foreign ministry said there have been now concrete negotiations to settle the disputes.

The Philippines is keeping its counsel on the issue, but president-elect Rodrigo Duterte has said he would not go to war against China and may hold bilateral talks.

“China urges the Philippines to immediately cease its wrongful conduct of pushing forward the arbitral proceedings, and return to the right path of settling the relevant disputes in the South China Sea through bilateral negotiation with China,” it said.

The US Pacific Command said two Chinese J-10 fighter planes had been involved in an "unsafe" intercept of a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane on routine patrol on Tuesday in international airspace over the East China Sea.

During a visit to Beijing this week, US secretary of state John Kerry said Washington would consider any Chinese establishment of an air defence zone over the South China Sea to be a "provocative and destabilising act".