PH, 13 countries urge Beijing: Abide by 2016 South China Sea Arbitral award
The Philippines and 13 other countries, including Japan, the United States, and Australia, have issued a joint statement urging China to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea. China continues to reject the ruling and engage in unilateral actions.
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and 13 countries called on China to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Award, a decade since it was handed down and even as Beijing refuses to acknowledge its validity. “We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS. We reaffirm that the Award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal,” said Manila alongside Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia, United Kingdom, and the United States of America in a joint statement released on Sunday, July 12. They added: “We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region. We reaffirm our strong opposition to the use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations by other States at sea or in the air, and in so doing endanger the safety of personnel and fishermen and seriously degrade regional peace and security." Ten years ago today, an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) handed down a ruling that largely favored the Philippines three years after it took the superpower China to arbitration. The tribunal found that China’s supposed historical claim over almost all of the South China Sea had no basis, that its rapid island-building activities in those waters damaged the marine environment, and that since there were no islands within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the 200 nautical mile where Manila ought to enjoy sovereign rights was intact. Ten years hence, China has refused to recognize and follow the award and insists on sweeping claims over the vast maritime spaces of the South China Sea. Its refusal to recognize the award has meant, especially for Philippine maritime agencies, harassment at the hands of the China Coast Guard and even its navy through dangerous manuevers, ramming, and improper use of water cannons at sea. For Filipino fisherfolk who for centuries have relied on seas for their livelihood, it’s meant reduced access to fishing areas, including the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal and risk of harassment even in other flashpoints for tensions in an area Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. “We urge the parties to abide by the 2016 Award and resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and other lawful mechanisms in accordance with international law,” said the 14 countries. China is a signatory to UNCLOS, although there is no way to force it to follow rulings and decision made under rules it has supposedly agreed to follow. “We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS. We reaffirm that the Award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and is final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the Arbitral Tribunal,” said the 14 countries. The 14 including nations that have consistently backed the Philippines in its push to uphold its rights and entitlements in the West Philippine Sea. Several more countries not in the joint statement have also recognized or expressly support the 2016 Arbitral Award. The bulk of those who joined the joint statement are countries from the Americas or Europe. While the build of their territories are physically far from the region, many of them are reliant on global trade — up to a third of global trade passes through the South China Sea. “We underscore the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as other internationally lawful uses of the sea, as reflected in UNCLOS,” the 14 said in a joint statement. Of the 14, only one — Japan — is in Asia. The award has been a sensitive issue in the region, particularly in Southeast Asia which the Philippines belongs to, partly because of bilateral ties with China. Yet at the same time, the award has been cited, in various degrees, in filings before multilateral institutions, for instance. Manila itself has been trying to thread the needle in both trying to uphold its maritime rights and entitlements while trying to keep ties cordial with its superpower neighbor. But Beijing has not been shy in putting pressure on Manila — from aggressive actions at sea, suspected espionage and influence operations, to political pressure in the form of sanctions on sitting officials of threats of trade sanctions. – Rappler.com
多角的分析
南シナ海における中国の海洋進出と、それに伴うフィリピン漁民の漁業権制限は、フィリピンの沿岸地域経済に直接的な打撃を与えている。特に、伝統的な漁業に依存するコミュニティでは、収入源の減少や生活基盤の不安定化が懸念される。また、国際貿易の主要ルートである南シナ海における航行の自由の阻害は、グローバルサプライチェーンに影響を与え、フィリピン経済全体のリスク要因となり得る。
南シナ海情勢の不安定化は、フィリピンへの投資リスクを高める要因となる。特に、中国との関係悪化が貿易制裁や経済的圧力を招く可能性は、 foreign direct investment (FDI) の流入を抑制する可能性がある。一方で、国際社会がフィリピンを支持する姿勢を強めることは、一部の戦略的投資家にとっては、東南アジアにおける地政学的なバランスを考慮した投資機会と映る可能性もある。
南シナ海における中国の活動は、フィリピンの漁民コミュニティに深刻な影響を与えている。長年漁業で生計を立ててきた人々は、伝統的な漁場へのアクセスを奪われ、生活の糧を失う危機に直面している。また、中国沿岸警備隊などによる危険な航法や威嚇行為は、漁民の安全を脅かし、精神的な負担となっている。これは、単なる海洋権益の問題に留まらず、地域住民の生活と安全に直結する喫緊の課題である。
フィリピン国民、特に沿岸地域に住む人々にとって、南シナ海仲裁判断の遵守を求める国際社会の声は、自国の権利と安全保障への期待を反映している。しかし、中国が依然として判断を無視し、海上での挑発行為を続ける現状は、国民の不安を増大させている。政府が国際法に基づき自国の権利を主張しつつ、中国との関係をどう管理していくか、国民は政府の対応を注視している。
背景・歴史的文脈
2016年7月12日、常設仲裁裁判所は、フィリピンが中国を提訴した南シナ海紛争に関する判断を下した。この判断は、中国の「九段線」に基づく広範な主権主張を退け、フィリピンの排他的経済水域（EEZ）における権利を認めるものであった。しかし、中国はこの判断を「無効」として受け入れず、現在も南シナ海での海洋進出と軍事拠点化を続けている。フィリピンは、この仲裁判断を国際法上の根拠として、自国の権利主張の正当性を国際社会に訴え続けている。
原文ソース
Rappler Philippines