NATO General Says China Should Respect Tribunal on Maritime Claim
Disrespect for ‘rules-based international system’ risks regional instability, official says
Tensions are at an all-time high in the South China Sea, where a game of geopolitical chess is taking place between China, the U.S. and other nations over territorial claims and military build-ups. Here’s a breakdown of the situation. Photo: Getty Images
SINGAPORE—A senior NATO general criticized China’s decision to ignore an upcoming Hague tribunal ruling on Chinese maritime claims, saying that Beijing risks fueling regional instability by unilaterally flouting international norms in dispute resolution.
“Whenever the government of a sovereign country says upfront they would not respect a ruling of the court, it’s not helpful,” Czech Army Gen. Petr Pavel, who chairs the alliance’s military committee, said Friday in an interview. Such behavior “sets the example for others that norms are only for those who are weak, and those who are strong can pick their own solutions.”
Chairman of NATO's military committee Gen. Petr Pavel speaks on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore Friday. PHOTO: REUTERS
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which isn’t a party to territorial disputes in the South China Sea, advocates a “rules-based international system” and peaceful means for resolving discord, Gen. Pavel said. “Disrespect for these principles may lead to instability that will have not only regional, but global impact.”
His comments, made on the sidelines of an annual security conference in Singapore, joined a recent chorus of criticism against China for its boycott of an international arbitration case filed by the Philippines, one of several governments that dispute Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.
Discord over the tribunal has fueled tensions ahead of this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, where top Asian and Western defense officials—including from Beijing and Washington—are set to renew an increasingly fractious debate over the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important waterways and geopolitical battlegrounds.
China has dismissed the Hague tribunal as illegitimate and boycotted its proceedings. In recent months, several Asian and Western governments—including the U.S.—urged Beijing to accept the outcome, irking Chinese officials who consider the arbitration as part of a coordinated effort to isolate Beijing diplomatically.
The tribunal is due to issue its ruling within weeks, months after accepting a case that Manila filed in 2013. Set up under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it has no power to enforce its decisions, so the case essentially threatens China only with reputational damage.
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“China is a signatory [to UNCLOS], and China should respect the norms,” Gen. Pavel said. “If there’s any problem with the norms, they should raise it through the proper and established procedures, and not simply disrespect the norm and take unilateral action.”
Beijing has resisted such calls, choosing instead to rally public opinion to its side. In recent months, Chinese diplomats have urged friendly countries in Asia, Africa and even Eastern Europe to publicly advocate the use of bilateral negotiations to settle disputes, rather than third-party arbitration. State media have also ramped up pro-Beijing rhetoric, citing academic commentary and purported historical evidence to back China’s claims.
Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring overlapping claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. Chinese officials have long favored bilateral talks with rival claimants, all of which are dwarfed by China militarily and economically.
Tensions in the region have escalated over the past two years, as China undertook massive land reclamation around certain islands and atolls, a move that security analysts say allows Beijing to better assert its sovereignty claim to nearly the entire sea. Washington has responded by sending warships and planes near some of the Chinese-held islands to challenge Beijing’s claims, fueling an escalating bilateral spat.
Analysts expect the issue to dominate discussions at the Shangri-La Dialogue this weekend, with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and a senior Chinese admiral due to speak on regional security issues.
Corrections & Amplifications
A senior Chinese admiral was due to address the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. An earlier version of this article misstated his rank.
Write to Chun Han Wong at chunhan.wong@wsj.com
