Stop Playing with Fire in the South China Sea
不要在南海玩火
來源：中國外交部 整理：泉州啟航翻譯公司
Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the UK
中國駐英國大使 劉曉明
Away from Britain’s focus on the forthcoming EU referendum, a serious international situation is developing in the South China Sea region. Although little reported in the UK, there is now much discussion about whether China should accept the ruling of the South China Sea arbitration process.
Proponents of this idea claim that China’s rejection would “undermine” the “rule-based international system” and would put the peace and stability of the region “under immediate threat”. We disagree.
近來，英國公眾十分關注即將舉行的英歐關系公投，但南海地區形勢發展同樣值得關注。盡管英國公眾可能對南海問題了解不深，但關于中國是否應接受菲律賓南海仲裁庭即將宣布的仲裁結果已被炒得很熱。一些人稱，如果中國不接受仲裁結果，就是破壞了“基于規則的國際秩序”，南海和平穩定就岌岌可危。我們絕不同意這種觀點。
It is important to understand that this arbitration process was in fact started by the Philippines unilaterally as an attempt to legitimise their illegal occupation of the Nansha islands and reefs.
Unknown to most of the British public is the fact that more than 40 of China’s islands and reefs in Nansha are illegally occupied by the Philippines and some other countries, who have built airstrips and deployed weapons there. The Philippines in particular has kept provoking disputes over islands and reefs time and again by, for example, “grounding” a warship forcibly and illegally on China’s reef to lay its claim.
China responded with maximum self-restraint, appealing for negotiations and consultations. We have called for disputes to be shelved and for joint development pending the ultimate solution of the issue.
菲律賓南海仲裁案的實質是菲方企圖單方面將其非法占有南沙群島島礁合法化。英國公眾可能不知道，目前有40多個屬于中國的南沙島礁被菲律賓等周邊國家非法侵占，并在上面大肆修建機場跑道，部署武器裝備。菲律賓還不時挑起事端，派出軍艦強行非法“坐灘”，堂而皇之地企圖將中國島礁據為己有。但中國一直保持著極大的克制，主張通過談判協商解決爭議，在問題解決前可以“擱置爭議、共同開發”。
However, it now appears that the Philippines sees China’s self-restraint as being weak. It has therefore gone one step further. It not only wants Chinese islands and reefs but has also filed for arbitration to drape its illegal occupation in the cloak of law.
Yet the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case at all. The submissions made by the Philippines appear to be related only to the classification of maritime features and fishery disputes, but are in essence inseparable from territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation.
Territorial sovereignty is not within the scope of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), whose preamble states that it establishes a legal order for the seas and oceans “with due regard for the sovereignty of all States”. China made a clear declaration in 2006 in accordance with UNCLOS to exclude maritime delimitation from compulsory arbitration. More than 30 other countries, including Britain, have made similar declarations.
Despite the fact that this tribunal has no jurisdiction over either territorial sovereignty or maritime delimitation, the Philippines has abused its right of action by knowingly initiating an unlawful case.
The tribunal meanwhile has abused its right of competency by knowingly accepting a case that is clearly not within its jurisdiction.
Tom Zwart, a law professor at Utrecht University, warned in a recent article that in East Asia, “the [arbitration] award will be widely regarded as the fruit of a poisonous tree, and it will fail, therefore, to garner the necessary support”.
Such a view is shared by numerous international law experts around the world. China’s non-participation in the arbitration process upholds international law.
然而，菲律賓把中國的克制視為軟弱可欺，得寸進尺。他們現在不僅要非法占有中國的島礁，還要仲裁庭給他們披上一件“合法”的外衣。但仲裁庭根本無權受理此案。菲律賓訴諸仲裁的事項，表面上涉及島礁性質和漁業爭端，實際上與領土主權和海洋劃界有著密不可分的聯系，而領土主權問題不在《聯合國海洋法公約》管轄范圍內。《公約》序言明確指出“妥為顧及所有國家主權的情形下,為海洋建立一種法律秩序。”有關海洋劃界等問題，中國早在2006年就已依據《公約》將其排除在強制爭端解決機制之外。英國等30多個國家也作出了類似聲明。因此，仲裁庭對領土主權和海洋劃界爭端都沒有管轄權。菲律賓明知不合法，卻執意提起仲裁，是典型的“濫訴”；仲裁庭明知不合法，卻執意受理此案，是典型的“濫權”。正如荷蘭烏特勒支大學知名法學教授茨瓦特在他最近的文章中警告：“仲裁庭的裁決在東亞必將會被視為毒樹之果，無法得到認可和支持”。國際法界持有類似觀點的專家大有人在。
The Law of the Sea clearly provides for a bilateral approach prior to any third-party mechanism, including arbitration. Yet it is clear that bilateral options between China and the Philippines have not been exhausted. The tribunal’s imprudent decision to start the compulsory arbitration process suggests a lack of even minimal respect for the spirit and principles of the UNCLOS to say the least.
Would anybody go into a football match where the rival team has conspired with the referee? Of course not. The fans and audience would not accept it.
中國拒絕參與仲裁案正是為了捍衛國際法。《公約》首先要求的是通過雙邊渠道解決爭議，仲裁等第三方機制只能是一種“不得已”的輔助途徑。而在南海仲裁案中，中菲間遠未用盡雙邊手段，仲裁庭卻輕率同意強制仲裁，如果不是缺乏對《公約》基本精神和原則的起碼尊重，那就是別有所圖。試想在足球場上，一支球隊如果明知對手和裁判已經串通一氣“吹黑哨”，怎么還會同意進入賽場比賽？不僅球隊不會接受，廣大球迷和觀眾也不會接受。
The “wirepuller” behind the arbitration is self-evident. For years this country from outside the region has been stepping up its rebalancing strategy in the Asia Pacific.
Its politicians have been making provocative remarks when talking about its Asia Pacific policies and the South China Sea issue, and its military has invested massively in the South China Sea region and areas around it.
The arbitration is in fact its carefully drafted show; the Philippines is merely reading the script.
Ironically, while pointing the finger at others and labelling China as “not abiding by international law” in the name of protecting UNCLOS and the international law, this country seems to have forgotten that it has itself refused to sign UNCLOS.
There is a quote from the Bible which neatly sums up the situation: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?”
仲裁案背后的推手是誰，明眼人都心知肚明。一段時期以來，這個域外國家加快實施亞太再平衡戰略的步伐，其政客多次就亞太政策以及南海問題發表挑釁性言論，其軍方也大幅強化在南海及周邊的力量投入。菲律賓南海仲裁案就是有這樣的國家在幕后寫劇本，菲律賓不過是在前臺演戲而已。然而荒誕的是，當這個國家指責別國違反《公約》，卻忘了自己至今仍拒絕成為《公約》的成員。圣經里有一句名言：“總在說別人眼里有細刺，卻渾然不覺自己眼里的椽子”。
My advice for the Philippines is to return to a negotiated solution, and for some countries from outside the region to stop playing with fire.
The parties directly involved in the South China Sea should consult and negotiate face to face, drawing on historical facts and international law. This is the only way we will resolve the South China Sea issue, restore harmony, and bring about lasting peace, cooperation and prosperity to this region.
我奉勸菲律賓盡早懸崖勒馬，回到談判解決問題的軌道上來。我也奉勸那些域外勢力及時收手，不要試圖火中取栗。只有讓當事方在國際法和歷史事實的基礎上，彼此坦誠地協商與談判，才能真正解決南海問題，讓南海這片海域重歸平靜，讓這個地區長久享有和平、合作與繁榮。
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