The Arbitral Tribunal, appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, announced on Tuesday that China has no "historic title" over the South China Sea.
由海牙常设仲裁法庭主导的仲裁庭在周二宣布中国并不具备对中国南海的“历史性权利”。
Beijing issued two statements immediately after the arbitration ruling was announced. Noting that Chinese activities in the South China Sea date back more than 2,000 years, one statement pointed out that China is the first to have discovered, named, explored and exploited the South China Sea Islands and surrounding waters.
The Foreign Ministry Wang Yi said in a statement that the ruling "is null and void and has no binding force".
外交部长王毅指出：此仲裁庭的决议案“是无效并且没有约束力的”。
China has always respected international laws and justice and kept to a path of peaceful development, Xi said. Maritime disputes should be resolved though direct negotiations on the basis of respecting historical facts and in line with international laws, he added.
Premier Li Keqiang, while meeting with Tusk (President of European Council) and Juncker (President of European Commission), called on Europeans to insist on justice and remain neutral on the issue.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is an intergovernmental organization located at The Hague in the Netherlands. The PCA is not a court, but rather an organizer of arbitral tribunals to resolve conflicts between member states. It should not be confused with the International Court of Justice, a separate institution.
This Arbitral Tribunal was conducted by 5 judges. (One from Germany, one from France, one from Netherlands, one from Poland, one from Ghana)
此次仲裁案有5为仲裁员，一位来自德国，一位来自法国，一位来自荷兰，一位来自波兰，一位来自加纳。
China noted that: the composition of an international court must represent all the major cultures and every major genealogy of law in order to ensure its authority. None of the 5 judges comes from Asia, let alone from China. So this Arbitral Tribunal is not justified.
