China Fisheries Association issued statement on South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines

The China Fisheries Association issued on Wednesday a statement on the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines. Following is the full text of the statement's English version:

China Fisheries Association

A statement on the South China Sea Arbitration Case Unilaterally Initiated by the Republic of the Philippines

To preserve the fishery resources on which Chinese fishermen depend for their livelihood, and to uphold their traditional fishery interests, the China Fisheries Association (CFA) hereby makes the following solemn statement on the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the Republic of the Philippines:

1. Since the relevant waters involved in this arbitration case are traditional fishing ground on which Chinese fishermen based for generations, an arbitration award, once given, may cause damage to their rights to product and have serious negative impact on their livelihood. As the representative body of the rights and interests of Chinese fishermen, CFA pays close attention to the arbitration case and would by no means accept or recognize any infringement act aiming at Chinese fishery resources and Chinese fishermen's rights and interests.

2. The South China Sea Islands have been China's territory since ancient times. China is the real master of the South China Sea Islands. No country, organization or individual is in a position to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, including the right to fishery resources.

3. CFA firmly supports China's stance of opposing the Philippines' unilateral initiation of the arbitration case. The acts of the Philippines and that of the Arbitral Tribunal violate the agreement between China and the Philippines to settle relevant disputes through negotiations, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and the declaration on optional exceptions China made in 2006 pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Arbitral Tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case. Any award the Arbitral Tribunal may render will be illegal and invalid, has no binding force, and will be ignored by CFA and Chinese fishermen.

China Fisheries Association

1 June, 2016

Source: XINHUA