Federal election 2016: Bishop warns China on Philippines dispute

Julie Bishop has warned that China risks damage to its reputation if it ignores a court ruling on territory disputes.

Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop.

Julie Bishop has warned that China risks irreparable damage to its reputation if it ignores an international court ruling on territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Urging calm in the region and the de-escalation of tensions, the Foreign Minister told the National Press Club yesterday that China would face “incredible pressure” to abide by a ruling of the International Court of Justice, which is considering a claim from the Philippines over a series of barren islands off its west coast.

Ms Bishop said she expected the court would rule in favour of the Philippines and this would pressure China to cease its military build-up in disputed waters.

“There will be enormous international pressure on China to abide by the findings of the international rules-based order under which we all exist and that has provided so much stability and security for the globe ... (China) will do irreparable harm to its harm to its reputation if it thumbs its nose at the findings of the arbitration court, and we would urge all parties to abide by the court,” she said.

She said the Australian government “did not take sides” in the dispute.

Both the government and Labor have committed to conducting freedom-of-navigation and flights over the South China Sea in international waters, but have not indicated they will follow the US in holding exercises within 12 nautical miles of the disputed territory.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said Labor also wanted a peaceful resolution and called for both countries to abide by the court.

“We absolutely agree ... that we don’t take sides in this, but it is very important that Australia continue to assert our freedom of navigation, both in the sea and in the skies, in accordance with international law,” she said.

Australian National University chancellor and former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans, yesterday said China’s assertive role raised difficult questions.

“Is it just a bit of wing-flapping after two centuries of wounded pride to reassert its leading role, or is it potentially more troubling, showing more interest in territorial expansion than we thought likely or possible? Are we seeing a hegemonic assertion that the proper role of neighbouring states is paying tribute to a Chinese overlord?” he said.

At a conference at the ANU’s Crawford School, a former Chinese general and deputy chairman of the China Foundation for International Studies, Pan Zhenqiang, replied that China had its own territorial integrity to protect and its claims in the South China Sea predated the 1949 Chinese revolution. He blamed US aggression for the tension in the region.

“It was peaceful until the US announced its so-called pivot to Asia, and the South China Sea suddenly flared as a pressure point,” he said.

“We want to maintain regional peace on the one hand and want to protect our sovereignty.”