China has firmly rejected the Philippines' delimitation of the so-called "baselines of the territorial sea" of Huangyan Island, calling the move "a grave infringement upon China's territorial sovereignty and a serious violation of international law".
The move "is illegal, null and void. China firmly rejects and will never accept it", the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters, the statement said, adding that the country has continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over the island.
It emphasized that Huangyan Island has never been part of the Philippines' territory, which has been defined by a series of international treaties. The Philippines' illegal territorial claim over Huangyan Island is completely baseless under international law, it added.
Slamming Philippines' unilateral initiation of the "South China Sea arbitration", the statement said its so-called "award" is illegal, null and void, and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes the "award", and it opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on the same "award", the statement added.
