Political Quotes

“I rise to speak about American leadership in the Asia-Pacific region, an area that will be more and more critical to our economy and national security for generations to come. Earlier today, an international tribunal issued an important ruling regarding maritime claims in the South China Sea, which can potentially have lasting consequences for peace and stability in that region and global security in general as the world chooses between an order of rule or an order of lawlessness. Today, the tribunal ruled in favor of our ally the Philippines and against the People's Republic of China, which has refused to recognize and participate in the tribunal altogether, a tribunal sanctioned under international agreement both nations are a party to. The tribunal began its work on January 22, 2013, when the Philippines served notice to China in international court regarding the violations of its sovereignty and China's claims in the South China Sea. On February 19, 2013, China rejected and returned the Philippines' notification, and since that date, China has refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings. On October 29, 2015, the tribunal held that despite China's nonparticipation, it has the jurisdiction to deliver a binding legal ruling in this case since both nations are treaty participants. Today, the panel ruled that China ``breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines'' with regard to maritime disputes between the two nations.…”