MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Philippines is set to raise the issue of the historic ruling on the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea maritime dispute at the Asia-Europe Summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay will attend the said summit which begins tomorrow, July 15.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs Said Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM’s agenda the Philippines’ peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision.
The statement was the strongest response from the Philippines to Tuesday’s verdict by the permanent court of arbitration in The Hague declaring that china’s claims to the resource-rich and strategically vital South China Sea had no legal basis.
China has vowed to ignore the ruling, saying the un-backed tribunal had no jurisdiction over the case and accused it of bias.