广州仲裁翻译公司：FT社评：各国需要对南海仲裁保持克制

Leader_A big test for Beijing over the South China Sea

FT社评：各国需要对南海仲裁保持克制

广州仲裁翻译公司：海牙仲裁庭做出对中国不利裁决后，各方首先需要的是克制。若对南海局势处理不当，中美爆发战争是切实的危险。

A UN tribunal’s ruling on Tuesday that invalidatesChina’s territorial claims in the South China Sea confronts Beijing with a pivotal moment in its emergence on the world stage. At issue is nothing less than whether China accepts the primacy of international law — or only does so when it suits the country’s national interest.

周二，联合国一个仲裁庭做出了有关中国对南中国海(South China Sea)主权的领土要求无效的裁定，让北京方面在世界舞台上崛起过程中到达一个关键时刻。这件事涉及到一个重大问题：中国是否会接受国际法律的至高无上地位？或者说，是否唯有当国际法律符合本国利益时，中国才会这么做？广州仲裁翻译公司。

The decision by the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is binding under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which defines the rights and responsibilities of nations using the world’s oceans. As a signatory, Beijing should observe the ruling. Failure to do so would damage its credibility in a host of international forums that use treaty agreements to govern behaviour in commerce, the environment, politics and defence.

根据《联合国国际海洋法公约》(UNCLOS)，海牙常设仲裁法院(Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague)做出的裁决是有约束力的。《公约》规定了利用世界海洋的各国的权利与义务。作为一个缔约国，中国应当遵守该裁定。若不能遵守，这将损害中国在一大批依靠条约协议来规范商业、环境、政治和防务领域行为的国际论坛中的信誉。

IfChinaflouts the verdict — which it has already criticised as reckless and illegitimate — it will send a signal to the world that it regards power as the prime arbiter in international affairs. Its defence that, far from being an outlaw, it has actually been trying to safeguard UNCLOS against a rogue tribunal carries little weight. The five judges on the panel reached a unanimous decision and their verdict under the convention is final.

如果中国藐视该裁定——它已经被中国批评为鲁莽和非法——那么它将向世界发出一个信号，即中国认为只有实力才是国际事务中的主要仲裁力量。中国的辩护辞——中国非但没有非法举动，而且实际上一直在反对一个行为异常的仲裁庭，从而捍卫《公约》——没有什么说服力。五名仲裁庭法官做出了意见一致的决定，而他们根据《公约》作出的裁决属于终局裁决。广州仲裁翻译公司。

The main conclusion from the case, which thePhilippinesbrought in 2013, is thatChinahas no claim to resources within a so-called nine-dash line, which encompasses about 85 per cent of the sea’s area. In addition, the tribunal ruled that the Spratly Islands, which have also been claimed by other countries includingVietnamandMalaysia, have not been inhabited by stable communities. That means the states that control them are not entitled to 200 nautical-mile economic zones in the surrounding seas.

菲律宾于2013年提起的这起仲裁案的主要裁决结果是，中国对覆盖大约85%南中国海的所谓“九段线”内的资源主张没有法律依据。该仲裁庭还裁定，除中国外，越南和马来西亚也声称拥有主权的斯普拉特利群岛（Spratly Islands，中国称南沙群岛），不存在稳定的人类社群的定居。这意味着，控制这些岛屿的国家无权拥有相应的200海里专属经济区。

China’s initial reaction has been predictably hardline. The ruling was “null and void and has no binding force”, declared Beijing’s foreign ministry on Tuesday. Its defence ministry, meanwhile, pledged to deal with “all kinds of threats and challenges” in safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime interests. Injured national pride could impel Beijing to unleash displays of military prowers and risk confrontations with theUSnavy, which has pledged to maintain freedom of navigation in the region.

中国最初的强硬反应是可以预料到的。中国外交部周二宣告，该裁决是“无效的，没有约束力的”。与此同时，中国国防部誓言在维护国家主权和海洋权益上应对“各种威胁挑战”。受到伤害的民族自豪感可能会促使北京方面大秀军事实力、出现与美国海军对峙的危险。后者承诺维护南海航行自由。广州仲裁翻译公司。

The world needs to be absolutely clear about what is at stake. War between the current and future superpowers is a real danger, if the situation is mishandled. Thus, the immediate imperative is for restraint on all sides. Longer term, however, the international community should present a united front to Beijing to persuade it to find an acceptable means to observe the rulings of the tribunal and reaffirm fealty to UNCLOS and international law more broadly.

世界需要彻底明白这一切关系到什么。如果局势处理不当，当今的超级大国与未来的超级大国之间爆发战争是切实的危险。因此，当务之急是各方保持克制。然而，从长远来看，国际社会应该对中国展示统一立场，说服它找到一个可接受的方式来遵守海牙仲裁法院的裁决、重申尊重《公约》乃至更广泛的国际法律。

Although the region is far away, European powers should recognise that a face-off between the world’s two biggest powers in a sea that provides passage to about $5tn in annual trade is everybody’s problem. Robust and sustained diplomatic pressure is required by all European countries to encourageChinaback into an international order governed by law. TheUKshould jettison its myopic focus onChinacommerce and engage with theUSon this vital strategic issue.

尽管欧洲距离该地区十分遥远，但是欧洲大国应该意识到，全世界最大的两个强国在每年约5万亿美元贸易的海上必经之道对峙，会成为每个人的麻烦。欧洲各国需要施加强烈、持续的外交压力，鼓励中国重返以法治主导的国际秩序。英国应该抛弃渴望同中国经贸往来的短视焦点，在这个至关重要的战略问题上与美国接触。广州仲裁翻译公司。

The South China Sea is the theatre in which the rivalry between Beijing and Washington is set to be played out. Actions there resonate around the world.Chinaneeds to be made to understand — possibly at the G20 meeting to be held in Hangzhou this autumn — that its pursuit of land and resources in this contested arena will carry hefty costs among its main commercial partners.

南中国海势必是中国和美国较量的舞台。这片大海上的一举一动所产生的冲击波将传遍全球。各方需要让中国理解——可能在今年秋天于杭州召开的20国(G20)会议上——它在这片具有争议的地区对土地和资源的声索，将在它的主要贸易伙伴手里遭遇高昂代价。

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