London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

China hits back after Canada wades into Hague ruling row

China hits back after Canada wades into Hague ruling row

China continues to reject 2016 Hague ruling which dismissed its claims to the region.
China has warned against “further damage” to its relationship with Canada and to regional peace and stability after Ottawa urged Beijing to abide by a five-year-old ruling rejecting most of its South China Sea claims.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Canada hit back at Ottawa, saying Beijing had undeniable sovereignty rights in the South and East China Seas irrespective of what was said at a tribunal in 2016.

The embassy said the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague to deny China’s historic title over the waters was “illegal”.

It urged Canada to “stop provoking and causing trouble on maritime-related issues, respect China’s sovereignty and rights and interests in the relevant maritime areas, and not to go further and further down the wrong path so as not to cause further damage to China-Canada relations as well as regional peace and stability.”

The Chinese statement followed a Canadian foreign ministry call for China to live up to its commitment in the South China Sea. Canada spoke out on July 11 to mark the fifth anniversary of the ruling made on July 12, 2016.

“Canada is particularly concerned by China’s escalatory and destabilising actions in the East and South China Seas, including, recently, off the Philippine coast, and by the militarisation of disputed features and the use of naval, coastguard and maritime militia vessels to intimidate and threaten the ships of other states,” the ministry said.

The Chinese embassy responded saying the arbitral tribunal had exceeded its powers and its 2016 decision “was illegal and invalid”. The statement also said China’s sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea were “in no way affected by the ruling, nor does China accept any claims or actions based on it”.

It also said the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea – known as the Senkakus in Japan – were “an inseparable part of China’s territory, and it is Japan that is constantly stirring up trouble and undermining regional stability”.

China’s sovereignty and rights in the South and East China Seas were undeniable, the statement said.

Although largely uninhabited, islands in the region are thought to have a wealth of natural resources nearby. The area is also a major shipping route and home to fishing grounds supplying the livelihood of many people.

Canada was one of several countries to mark the fifth anniversary of the historic court ruling by publicly urging China to comply with international law. That triggered orchestrated responses by Chinese diplomatic missions abroad.

The Chinese embassy in British denied a report that China’s coastguards and fishing boats were harassing Philippine fishing vessels. It also said it was against international law to deny “the legitimate rights accumulated over a thousand years the Chinese fishermen enjoy in the fishing grounds in the Spratly Islands”.

The Chinese embassy in Canberra urged Australia to “stop political manipulation” over the South China Sea issue.

On July 11, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Beijing to “abide by its obligations under international law [and] cease its provocative behaviour” in the South China Sea.

The Chinese embassy statement from Ottawa also accused Washington of “intensifying tensions” in the waters.

“No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and powerful ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Every inch of China’s territory absolutely cannot and will never be partitioned from China,” it said.

In March, Canada sent a warship near the disputed Spratly Islands claimed by China and the Philippines.

Beijing and Ottawa are also locked in a dispute over the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and China’s arrest of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×