China-Russia declaration on int'l law can help the int'l community understand the true intention of Manila's South China Sea arbitration request: FM spokesperson

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday said that a China-Russia declaration on the promotion of international law showed that the two countries agreed on dispute settlement mechanisms. The declaration reaffirmed the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes. Foreign ministers of the two countries signed the declaration on Saturday.

Spokesperson Hong Lei said the declaration will also help the international community understand the true intention of Manila's South China Sea arbitration request.

China and Russia are permanent members of the UN Security Council, and are both committed to upholding and developing international law, said Hong.

"It is crucial for the maintenance of international legal order that all dispute settlement means and mechanisms are based on consent and used in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation, and their purposes shall not be undermined by abusive practices," the declaration said.

On UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the declaration underlined that the integrity of the legal regime established by the Convention must not be compromised. “All this help clarify and get down to the bottom of the issue,” Hong stressed.

It is of utmost importance that the provisions of this universal treaty are applied consistently, in a manner that does not violate the rights and legitimate interests of contracting parties and does not compromise the integrity of the legal regime established by the convention, the declaration said.