EU Acknowledges Hague Court Ruling in South China Sea Row – Tusk

European Council President Donald Tusk said Wednesday the European Union has full confidence in the Hague tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea row, after the EU-China summit in Bejijng.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The UN-appointed permanent court of arbitration in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that there was no basis to China’s claim to extensive territories in the sea, which are believed to hold gas and oil reserves.

"The EU will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law, including when it comes to the UN conventions on the Law of the Sea," Tusk said.

"We acknowledge the word issued by the court yesterday. I hope their word is now used to create a positive momentum to finding a solution to the dispute in the South China Sea," he added.

Tusk said the European Council understood China’s position in the dispute and vowed to move the strategic partnership between the European Union and China forward.

A number of disputed islands, including the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, are located in the South China Sea. Beijing’s territorial claims to the Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in China, which are believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves, run against those of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.