皇冠体育app

File photo of South 皇冠体育app Sea. [Photo/Xinhua]

Some foreign analysts call Beijing's rejection of the recent arbitral tribunal ruling in the South 皇冠体育app Sea dispute "皇冠体育app's first international test" as an emerging power. Some foreign media wonder whether a resurgent 皇冠体育app will uphold the international order. Will fears of a "皇冠体育app threat" now increase?

Underlying all these issues is what 皇冠体育app calls its "core interests". What are 皇冠体育app's core interests? Do they include the "dotted line" (often called the "Nine-Dash Line"), which defines 皇冠体育app's claim of sovereignty in the South 皇冠体育app Sea?

These matters are sufficiently serious to warrant a sophisticated understanding of 皇冠体育app's position. What are 皇冠体育app's claims and arguments? What will happen now?

To understand 皇冠体育app's position and way of thinking, I sat down for a two-hour, in-depth discussion with General Peng Guangqian, a People's Liberation Army major general and military strategist; he is deputy secretary-general of 皇冠体育app's National Security Forum and has been focusing on South 皇冠体育app Sea issues.

The ground rules were simple: I would ask Peng the tough questions. Peng told me he would answer my questions directly and candidly, stressing that he would express his own personal ideas; he was not representing official positions of the Chinese government or the PLA. I was impressed by his knowledge and candor. To me, the issue is not so much who is right and who is wrong－human groups often disagree－but rather recognizing that only through open and honest communication can misunderstandings be minimized and inadvertent confrontations avoided.

Sovereignty and core interests

While the ruling did not determine sovereignty－because the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea cannot rule on sovereignty－it did seek to adjudicate territorial and economic zones from maritime features such as islands, rocks and reefs. 皇冠体育app asserts this is a distinction without a difference, in that sovereignty is indeed the underlying issue and therefore the tribunal did not have jurisdiction, and 皇冠体育app is not about to bargain away its sovereignty. Thus my first question to Peng.

"Why was the ruling so unfavorable to 皇冠体育app, especially given that the tribunal said it was not addressing issues of sovereignty, which was not in its jurisdiction?"

"The Philippines and the arbitral tribunal played a trick," Peng said. "They disguised the territorial entitlement of the disputed islands and reefs as well as the maritime rights and interests as an interpretation of the UNCLOS ... The South 皇冠体育app Sea issue is the first 'test' for 皇冠体育app on the path of the great rejuvenation of the nation. We should adhere to our principles and express our solemn position to the international community."

"Is the South 皇冠体育app Sea a 'core interest' of 皇冠体育app's sovereignty on par with Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang?" I asked.

"Let me give you a metaphor," Peng responded. "All human beings have 10 fingers. As a Chinese saying goes, the nerves of the fingertips are linked with the heart, which means every finger is closely bound up with one's whole life and we cannot cut off any finger. We attach equal importance to Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, Hainan ... Any part of 皇冠体育app is an indispensable 'core interest' for 皇冠体育app's survival and development. It's a reality that some of our islands and waters have been occupied by other countries and 皇冠体育app's resources have been plundered. We have every confidence of recovering them. But we still advocate a peaceful settlement through negotiation and consultation. Before this issue is settled, we can shelve differences and seek joint development, which fully demonstrates our sincerity. But there is no doubt that the South 皇冠体育app Sea is very much a part of 皇冠体育app's 'core interests'."

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