Hindi kinilala ng China ang arbitral win ng Pilipinas sa South China Sea ayon sa Palasyo ng Malacañang.
Ito ang sinabi ni Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo matapos ang bilateral meeting nina Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at Chinese President Xi Jinping sa Diaoyutai State Guesthouse sa Beijing, Huwebes ng gabi.
Ayon kay Panelo, naging diretso si Pangulong Duterte sa pagdiga kay Xi sa mga inaangking teritoryo ng Pilipinas sa West Philippine Sea at ang arbitral win ng bansa anya ay ‘final’, ‘binding’ at ‘not subject to appeal’.
“President Duterte was also steadfast in raising with President Xi concerns central to the Philippines’ claim in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which include the ruling held by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. He said that the arbitral award is final, binding and not subject to appeal,” ani Panelo.
Gayunman, sa kanyang tugon, iginiit umano ni Xi na hindi kikilalanin China ang arbitral ruling at hindi kailanman sila magbabago ng posisyon ukol dito.
“In response, President Xi reiterated his government’s position of not recognizing the arbitral ruling as well as not budging from its position,” dagdag ng kalihim.
Nagkasundo naman anya ang dalawang lider na sa kabila ng pagkakaiba sa posisyon ukol sa mga teritoryo, ay hindi ito makakaapekto sa pagkakaibigan ng Pilipinas at China.
“Both President Duterte and President Xi agreed that while their variant positions will have to remain, their differences however need not derail nor diminish the amity between the two countries. They shared the view that the contentious issue is not the sum total of the Philippines-Chinese bilateral relationship,” ani Panelo.
Magugunitang panalo ang Pilipinas sa kasong iniakyat sa Permanent Court of Arbitration sa Hague, The Netherlands noong 2016 at hindi kinikilala ng ruling ang nine-dash claim ng China sa South China Sea.