South China Sea case a 'farce', Beijing says

China said on Tuesday the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration" was a political farce under the guise of law, and the resulting "award" is entirely illegal and invalid.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks following a joint statement issued on Sunday on the "award" by countries, including some European nations, the United States and the Philippines. The European Union also released a separate statement.

The European side was urged to stop endorsing the illegal "South China Sea Arbitration Award".

Lin said Europe is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to make irresponsible remarks on China's legitimate territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

The "arbitration" is nothing but a stunt pulled by the US and a handful of Western countries for the political purpose of containing China, he said.

China neither accepts nor recognizes the "award", he said, adding that Beijing also opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it.

In response to a statement issued by Japan's foreign minister marking the 10th anniversary of the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration", as well as a joint statement Japan issued with other countries, Chinese embassy to Japan has lodged a solemn representation and strong protest with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

Such actions have heightened vigilance among regional countries and the broader international community, the embassy said.

The South China Sea "arbitration" has become a primary political tool for certain countries to hype up the South China Sea issue and interfere in regional affairs, experts said.

Liu Shuliang, an associate research fellow at the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, said the US and other Western countries have continued to engage in political and diplomatic maneuvering over the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration" in an attempt to use the case to exert "collective pressure" on China, sow divisions in the region, and disrupt peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has pursued a strategy of "aligning with external powers to contain China", courting extra-regional countries such as the US, Japan and Australia to interfere in the South China Sea affairs, he said.

"It (the US) also seeks to curb China's maritime rights and interests and regional influence while maintaining its own military presence and strategic dominance in the Asia-Pacific. Japan and Australia, meanwhile, are seeking geopolitical gains by actively supporting the US strategy to contain China," Liu said.

Chen Hong, director of East China Normal University's Asia Pacific Studies Center, said the US has actively drawn its allies and partners into the South China Sea affairs, seeking to turn the region into a key front in strategic competition among major powers.

"The South China Sea is not inherently an arena for great-power rivalry. Rather, it is Washington's continued introduction of alliance mechanisms, forward military deployments and China-containment strategies that have contributed to the region's growing militarization," he said.

Undermining peace

The intervention of non-regional countries in the South China Sea issue is intended not to uphold fairness and justice, but to pursue their own political interests, undermine regional peace and stability, and increase uncertainty in the South China Sea, experts said.

Gao Jian, director of the Centre for British Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, said the United Kingdom's involvement in the South China Sea issue is driven by its global geopolitical and Asia-Pacific strategic interests, under the guise of upholding a "rules-based international order".

By joining in issuing related statements, the UK is seeking to reinforce its international "presence", demonstrate the value of its "special relationship" with the US, and underscore its so-called "traditional ties" with Commonwealth countries rooted in the colonial era, he said.

Liu from Tianjin said Japan has increasingly used the South China Sea issue to advance its regional security strategy, as it continues to loosen the constraints of its pacifist constitution and embrace a new form of militarism.

"The move fuels a regional arms race, worsens the regional security environment, and heightens the risk of friction and even conflict in the region," he said.

Zhou Jin in Beijing contributed to this story.