July 11

When attending the East Asia Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, stated China's position on the "South China Sea Arbitration." Wang pointed out that this "arbitration case" had serious flaws in both fact-finding and legal application, and was an act violating UNCLOS under the banner of the Convention. He asked incisively: If the abuse of compulsory arbitration is allowed, will diplomatic efforts still have any meaning? Should bilateral consultations be abandoned? Do the commitments under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) still have any validity? Facts have proven that the "arbitration case" is a political manipulation and should be swept into the dustbin of history.

On the same day, Wang Yi stated that China and ASEAN countries have agreed to build the COC into an upgraded version of the DOC, strive to conclude the COC as scheduled by 2026, and accelerate the consultation process. He noted that at the series foreign ministers' meetings, there was a clear divergence of views between regional countries and a few countries from outside the region, with the latter "seeking to stir up trouble in the South China Sea." These "old scripts" have long been seen through by regional countries.

July 12

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement announcing that it would promote a so-called "second arbitration" and demanded that China comply with the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Award."