Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the issue of Renai Reef, answering questions from reporters about warships sitting on the beach and Renai Reef
Q: On August 7th, the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement stating that on August 5th, the Chinese Coast Guard intercepted and used water cannons to attack supply ships and Coast Guard ships carrying out routine supply missions in the waters off Ren'ai Reef in Nansha, violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the arbitration award in the South China Sea, and infringing on the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Philippines. May I ask if the Chinese side has any comments on this?
A: The spokesman of the China Maritime Police Bureau has made a detailed introduction to the recent illegal transportation of construction materials from the Philippines to Ren'ai Reef in the the Nansha Islands, China, which triggered maritime events. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made solemn representations to the Philippines.
I want to emphasize that Ren'ai Reef is part of the the Nansha Islands in China. The Philippine side has repeatedly made clear commitments to tow the warship illegally sitting on the reef, but 24 years have passed. Not only has the Philippine side not towed the warship, but it has also attempted to carry out large-scale maintenance and reinforcement, achieving permanent occupation of Ren'ai Reef. The actions of the Philippines seriously violate international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed between China and ASEAN countries. The Chinese side once again urges the Philippine side to immediately tow the "Sitan" warship from Ren'ai Reef and restore the unmanned and facility free state of Ren'ai Reef.
The South China Sea arbitration case claims that the award violates international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and is illegal and invalid. China does not accept or recognize this ruling, and does not accept any claims or actions based on this ruling. This position is clear and firm, and is a legitimate measure to uphold the international rule of law.
For a period of time, China has communicated with the Philippines multiple times through diplomatic channels on the issue of Ren'ai Reef, clearly requiring the Philippines not to transport construction materials for large-scale maintenance and reinforcement to illegal "sitting on the beach" warships, and proposing that both sides discuss measures to control the situation on Ren'ai Reef as soon as possible. But the Philippine side disregarded China's goodwill and sincerity, insisting on transporting construction materials for repair and reinforcement to the Ren'ai Reef "Sitan" warship, which is the cause of this situation. The Chinese maritime police have taken measures in accordance with the law to safeguard China's sovereignty and maritime rights, and their on-site operations are professional and restrained, which is beyond reproach.
The Philippines is an important maritime neighbor of China, and both sides have reached important consensus on controlling maritime disputes. China is willing to continue to properly handle maritime issues with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation, and jointly maintain bilateral relations and stability in the maritime situation.