MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In January 2013, the Philippines filed a case against China claiming that Beijing had violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by its actions in the South China Sea. The Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration will hand down a ruling in the case of the territorial dispute between the countries on July 12.
In a phone conversation on Wednesday, Wang slammed the upcoming decision saying, as quoted by Xinhua News Agency, that "the arbitral tribunal which clearly has been expanding and over-stretching its jurisdiction beyond the limit has no jurisdiction at all [over the South China Sea disputes]. Any award it makes in disregard of the laws and facts is naturally not legally binding."
He also urged the United States to avoid taking sides on the issues regarding national sovereignty.
A number of disputed islands, including the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, are located in the South China Sea. Beijing’s territorial claims to the Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in China, which are believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves, run against those of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
