In the Ren'ai Reef, which is a constituent part of China's Nansha Islands, the Philippines illegally ran an old warship aground in May 1999 at that feature on the pretext of "technical difficulties." China has made repeated representations to the Philippines, demanding that the latter immediately tow away the vessel. The Philippines, for its part, had on numerous occasions made explicit undertaking to China to tow away the vessel grounded due to "lack of parts."
Afterwards, the Philippines told China that it would not become the first country that breaches the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
However, Wang said, more than 15 years have passed and the ship has become rusted, the Philippines, instead of fulfilling its promise, has openly declared that it had sneaked concrete and other building materials into the ship for consolidation.
On March 14, 2014, the Philippine foreign ministry claimed in a statement that the purpose of grounding the warship was to occupy the Ren'ai Reef. The Philippines thus exposed the 15-year lie it has invented and broke its promise. It's simply short of international credibility, Wang said.
Wang also retorted the claims of the Japanese representatives that all artificial islands and reefs in the South China Sea do not produce legal rights for the owner.
"But let's see what Japan has done. In recent years, Japan has spent some 10 billion yen (about 80 million U.S. dollars) on the tiny atoll of Okinotori, building it into a de facto island with cement and steel, and then claimed a right to a continental shelf extending beyond its 200-nautical mile coast boundaries as exclusive economic zone at the United Nations.
"However, most UN members considered Japan's claim inconceivable and chose to decline the proposal.
"Therefore, Japan should review its own words and deeds before criticizing others. Unlike Japan, China has claimed its right to the South China Sea a long time ago, which does not require enhancement through land reclamation."
Wang stressed that China is a de facto victim of the South China Sea issue.
"To maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, we have exercised great restraint."
China's basic stand is resolving relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respect for historical facts and international laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"This stand will never change," he said.
After friendly negotiations, Wang said, China and ASEAN countries have formulated a set of mechanisms to properly handle the South China Sea issue.
One is "dual-track" approach, which indicates that relevant disputes should be addressed by countries directly concerned through friendly consultation and negotiation. This is also the stipulation of Article 4 of the DOC, to which both China and ASEAN members have made commitments. Both China and ASEAN countries have agreed to make joint efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
"I want to tell you that China and ASEAN are fully capable of maintaining peace in these waters," Wang said.
The second is about implementation of the DOC and consultation on formulating the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
Wang said so far, the DOC has been carried out smoothly, while some progress has been made in the consultation on formulating the COC.
"Since the launch of the consultation less than two years ago, we have passed two consensus documents and the consultation has entered the new phase of discussing 'crucial and complex issues'. We also have agreed to launch two hotline platforms between China and ASEAN countries, which will soon be put into operation."
Thirdly, China has offered to discuss and formulate preventive measures for maritime risk control to provide a new platform for the discussion of proposals and ideas raised by relevant parties. "It can be put into practice once a consensus if reached," Wang said.
