Pakistan appreciates China’s policy of resolving disputes through negotiation

Pakistan fully supports Beijing on the issue of South China Sea and wishes it should be solved through peaceful negotiations among the parties’ concerned. Intervention by the third party would not be workable, rather it would damage China’s consistent efforts to settle bilateral disputes through peaceful means, said an official of Pakistan Embassy.

Pakistan appreciates the Chinese government’s consistent efforts for solving disputes of overlapping claims of territorial and maritime rights and interests through negotiation and consultation in accordance with the international law and on the basis of respecting historical facts.

According to the official, since the 1960s, China has settled boundary questions with 12 of its 14 land neighbors through negotiations and consultations, delimiting 20,000 kilometers of boundaries, accounting for 90 percent of China’s 22,000 kilometers of land boundaries.

It is fair to say that this is a perfect example of how New China pursues the independent foreign policy, the policy of good neighborliness and international law. It is also a remarkable achievement made by New China through negotiations and consultations.

Peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiations and consultations is not only China’s policy but also in line with bilateral agreements between China and the Philippines on the issue of South China Sea.

The agreements reached between the two sides have all explicitly state that they will solve territorial and maritime disputes through bilateral negotiation and consultation.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has reiterated its standing position on the matter of jurisdiction in the South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Republic of the Philippines.

The official referred to the Position paper issued by the Chinese government. About three years back, the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines presented a note verbal to the Embassy of China in the Philippines, stating that the Philippines submitted a Notification and Statement of Claim in order to initiate compulsory arbitration proceedings under Article 287 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea with respect to the dispute with China over “maritime jurisdiction” in the South China Sea.

The Chinese Government rejected it and returned the Philippines’ note verbal and subsequently reiterated that it will neither accept nor participate in the arbitration thus initiated by the Philippines.

According to member Chinese Think-Tank, China asserts undisputable sovereignty over South China Sea and Islands. These claims are rooted in historical realities. China is opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration and development activities in waters under Chinese jurisdiction.