2016年6月18日，斐济主流媒体《斐济太阳报》刊登驻斐济大使张平题为《南海争议应由有关直接当事国通过谈判协商解决》的署名文章。全文如下：

 

On 18 June 2016, the Fiji Sun published a signed article by Ambassador Zhang Ping entitled “South China Sea Disputes Should Be Solved by Parties Directly Concerned Through Negotiation and Consultation”. The full text is as follows:

 

南海争议应由有关直接当事国通过谈判协商解决

South China Sea Disputes Should Be Solved by Parties Directly Concerned Through Negotiation and Consultation

 

南海问题是当今国际媒体普遍关注的一个热点问题。

 

当前，南海问题涉及两个层面的问题。第一个层面的问题是南海一些沿岸国家上世纪70年代起非法侵占中国南沙群岛部分岛礁而产生的领土争议和1982年《国际海洋法公约》生效后产生的南海部分海域的海洋权益主张重叠争议，这是南海问题的核心；另一个层面的问题涉及近年来一些域外国家对南海的政治和军事介入，这些行动加剧了南海局势的紧张。而菲律宾单方面提出并执意推进南海仲裁案，则使本已复杂敏感的南海问题变得更加复杂化。

 

The South China Sea issue is a hot topic nowadays in the international media. The current South China Sea issue involves two tiers of issues. The first tier of issues are the territorial disputes over the Nansha Islands caused by some coastal countries’ illegal occupation of some maritime features of China’s Nansha Island since 1970s, and the disputes concerning overlapping claims of maritime rights and interests over some maritime areas in South China Sea resulted from the establishment and development of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This is the crux of the South China Sea issue. The second tier of issues relate to the political and military intervention in the South China Sea by some outside countries which heightened tension in the region. The Philippines’ unilateral initiation and obstinate forcing ahead of the South China Sea arbitration further complicates this already complex and difficult situation.

 

南海诸岛自古以来就是中国领土。中国最早发现、命名、开发经营南海诸岛，也最早并持续对南海诸岛行使主权管辖，对南海诸岛及其附近海域拥有无可争辩的主权。中国在南海的主权和相关权利是在长期的历史过程中形成的，为历代中国政府所坚持。

 

The islands in the South China Sea have been Chinese territory since ancient times. China was the first country to discover, name, explore and exploit the resources of the South China Sea Islands and the first to continuously exercise sovereign powers over them. China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over South China Sea Islands and the adjacent waters. China’s sovereignty and relevant claims of rights in the South China Sea have been gradually formed in the long historical course and upheld by successive Chinese governments.

 

中国政府一贯坚持与有关当事国在尊重历史事实的基础上，根据国际法，通过谈判协商和平解决领土主权争议。

 

China has all along stood for peaceful settlement of territorial and maritime delimitation disputes through negotiation and consultation with States directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law.

 

中国与菲律宾曾就通过协商解决南海有关争议达成共识，并多次加以确认。然而，在从未与中方就相关争议进行谈判，未征得中方同意的情况下，菲律宾于2013年1月单方面就中菲在南海有关争议提起仲裁。

 

China and the Philippines have agreed to settle their disputes in the South China Sea through negotiation and reaffirmed this agreement on many occasions. However, in January 2013, without having any negotiation concerning relevant disputes with China, or having the consent of China, the Philippines unilaterally initiated compulsory arbitration proceeding over its dispute with China in the South China Sea.

 

菲律宾的行径不仅违背了与中方达成的有关通过双方谈判解决南海有关争议的共识及其在2002年签订的《南海各方行动宣言》中所作的承诺，而且侵犯了《公约》缔约国享有的自主选择争端解决方式的权利。

 

This act by the Philippines not only violated the agreement reached by China and the Philippines on the South China Sea disputes settlement and the commitment it has made in 2002 under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parities in the South China Sea (DOC), but also violated the right of a state Party to UNCLOS to choose the means of dispute settlement of its own will.

 

领土主权问题不是《公约》的调整范围，而且中国政府已经根据《公约》第298条作出了排除性声明，在涉及海洋划界等问题上不接受第三方强制争端解决程序。全球30多个国家做了类似声明，包括4个联合国常任理事国。

 

Territorial sovereignty issues are not subject to UNCLOS. Furthermore, China has already made, pursuant to Article 298 of the UNCLOS, an optional exceptions declaration, excluding disputes concerning, among other, maritime delimitation from the UNCLOS third party dispute settlement procedures. More than 30 countries in the world have filed the similar declarations including 4 permanent United Nations Security Council members.

 

菲律宾将中菲围绕南沙群岛部分岛礁的领土争议和南海海洋划界争议歪曲为《公约》解释和适用的争议，企图规避中方有关排除性声明，滥用《公约》的强制争端解决程序，其最终目的是否认其侵占或主张中国南沙群岛部分岛礁的事实，否定中国对南沙群岛的领土主权和海洋权益。中国政府明确声明，不接受、不参与仲裁，也不会接受和承认任何裁决结果，更不会执行裁决。

 

The Philippines distorted its territorial and maritime disputes with China over some the Nansha islands and reefs as matters concerning the interpretation and application of UNCLOS, deliberately circumvent the declaration on optional exceptions made by China under UNCLOS and abused the compulsory procedures for dispute settlement. It in essence is to deny the fact of its illegal seizure of or claim on several maritime features of the Nansha Islands and negate China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. The Chinese government has explicitly stated that it does not accept or participate in the arbitration on South China Sea disputes, nor will it accept or recognize the ruling of the arbitration, let alone enforce it.

 

世界上涉及领土和海洋权益的争端并不少见，也不乏通过谈判解决争议的成功案例。自20世纪60年代以来，中国已通过谈判协商与14个陆地邻国中的12个国家妥善解决了边界问题，划界的边界线达到20000公里，占中国陆地边界的90%。中国与越南通过谈判协商划定了两国在北部湾的海上界线。这充分证明谈判协商在妥善解决领土争议问题上的有效性。中国有关通过谈判协商和平解决南海争议的主张已得到了将近60个国家的理解和支持。

 

Disputes over territorial and maritime rights and interests are not uncommon in the world. There is no lack of successful examples of resolving the disputes through bilateral consultation and negotiation. Since 1960s, China has resolved boundary issues with 12 of its 14 neighbors on land through negotiations and demarcated around 20,000 kilometers, or 90% of its boundary. China and Vietnam also did maritime delimitation in the Beibu Gulf through negotiations. Such achievements have proven the effectiveness of negotiation and consultation in proper resolution of boundary disputes. China’s proposition on peaceful settlement of the South China Sea issue through negotiation and consultation has received understanding and support of nearly 60 countries in the world.

 

中国主张按“双轨思路”来处理南海问题，即有关争议由直接当事国在尊重历史事实的基础上，根据国际法，通过谈判和协商解决；南海的和平稳定由中国和东盟国家共同维护。这是当前妥善处理南海问题最现实有效的途径。

 

China advocates “dual track” approach to handle the South China Sea issue, i.e. relevant disputes should be resolved peacefully through negotiation and consultation between parties directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law, and China and ASEAN member states work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. This is the most realistic and effective way to properly handle the South China Sea issue.

 

长期以来，南海航行自由不存在问题，并未因南沙争议受到任何影响，将来也不会出现问题。保障南海航行自由与安全对中国同样重要。域外势力的插手无益于南海问题的和平解决，更无益于南海地区的和平和稳定。对此，中国坚决反对。

 

For a long time, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been a problem or affected by disputes over the Nansha Islands, nor will it ever be a problem in the future. To ensure freedom and safety of navigation in the South China Sea is also important for China. Outside intervention is neither helpful to the peaceful settlement of the South China Sea disputes, nor conducive to the peace and stability of the South China Sea. China is firmly opposed to it.

 

中国政府坚定维护领土主权和海洋权益，主张通过谈判协商和平解决争议，通过制定规则和建立机制来管控争议，通过开发与合作来实现互利共赢。中方将继续坚定维护各国依国际法享有的南海航行和飞越自由及南海和平与稳定。

 

The Chinese government is committed to upholding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and adheres to the position of settling the disputes through bilateral negotiation and consultation, managing differences through relevant rules and mechanisms and achieving win-win outcomes through mutually beneficial cooperation. China will continue to remain committed to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea enjoyed by all countries in accordance with international law and to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

 

中国和菲律宾是隔海相望的近邻，两国人民传统友谊深厚。中菲双边谈判的大门始终是敞开的。菲律宾应立刻停止推进仲裁程序的错误举动，回到通过双边谈判解决中菲在南海的有关争议的正确道路上来。

 

China and the Philippines are neighbors facing each other across the sea. The two peoples share a deep bond of traditional friendship. The door of China-Philippines bilateral negotiation remains open. It is the time for the Philippines to cease the arbitral proceedings and return to right path of settling the relevant disputes in the South China Sea through bilateral negotiation with China.