NSC NAGPASALAMAT SA SUPORTA NG G7

IKINAGALAK ng National Security Council ang inilabas na pahayag ng mga bansang kasapi ng tinaguriang G7 kasunod ng ginawang pagpupulong sa Apulia, Italy.

Ayon kay National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, matinding mensahe ang ipinarating ng G7 sa China hinggil sa kanilang lubhang pagkabahala at mariing pagtutol sa anumang unilateral attempt na baguhin ang status quo sa East at South China Seas sa pamamagitan ng puwersa.

“We appreciate the G7’s explicit condemnation of the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels. This acknowledgment underscores the international community’s recognition of the threats faced by our nation and reaffirms the importance of upholding the rule of law in maritime disputes,” pahayag pa ni Sec. Eduardo Año.

Nitong nakalipas na linggo ay sinita ang ginawa ng China ng Group of Seven (G7) na kinabibilangan ng Canada, France, United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, at United Kingdom, mga nangungunang industrialized democracies sa mundo.

Kinondena ng G7 ang China kaugnay sa dumarami nitong mapanganib na maneuver at paggamit ng water cannons laban sa mga barko ng Pilipinas sa South China Sea.

“We continue opposing China’s dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea and its repeated obstruction of countries’ high seas freedom of navigation,” pahayag pa ng mga lider.

Muling nanindigan ang mga lider ng G7 na hindi nila kinikilala ang maritime claims ng China sa mga lugar na tinukoy sa United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“In this regard, we reaffirm that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarization, and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea,” dagdag pa ng mga ito.

“We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of the UNCLOS and reaffirm UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas.”

Binanggit din ang 2016 Arbitral Award bilang “legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings,” at magsisilbing “useful basis for peacefully resolving maritime disputes.”
VERLIN RUIZ