戴秉国在中美智库南海问题对话会上的讲话（中英对照）

二、中国始终坚持通过双边谈判协商和平解决南海问题

II. China remains committed to peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations and consultations with countries directly concerned.

尽人皆知，中国政府最先提出并始终坚持“搁置争议，共同开发”，坚持通过谈判协商和平解决争议，通过规则和机制管控争议，通过开发与合作实现互利共赢，坚持维护南海航行和飞越自由及南海和平稳定。这是中国解决南海问题的基本政策，也是庄严承诺。过去几十年来，南海地区形势保持总体稳定，有关争议得到妥善管控，东南亚地区实现高速发展，这一地区成为世界上和平、稳定和繁荣的象征，越来越成为世界上其他地区国家向东看、向东转、向东干，竞相开展务实合作的对象，这是中国和有关国家对国际社会的巨大贡献。

The Chinese government was the first to propose and has consistently followed the position of “shelving disputes and pursuing common development.” Its consistent position on the South China Sea issue includes the following three elements:  

– Disputes should be settled peacefully through negotiation and consultation, and managed through rules, norms and operating mechanisms;

– Shared interests should be expanded through joint development and cooperation;

– Freedom of navigation and overflight should be upheld and peace and stability maintained.

These are both China’s basic policies and solemn pledges on the South China Sea issue. For the past several decades, the South China Sea region has maintained stability on the whole, and the relevant disputes have been kept under control. Southeast Asia has been able to achieve robust growth, and is seen as an example of peace, stability and prosperity and a magnet of cooperation in the eyes of many countries and regions. This is a great contribution China and its neighbors have made to the international community.

作为南海最大沿岸国，中国一直致力于实现自身和平发展，南海和平稳定是中国的重大利益所在。因此，除非受到武力挑衅，中方不会动用武力。尽管当前南海和平稳定受到一些内外消极因素影响，但是中国仍然没有丧失信心，坚持通过双边谈判协商和平解决南海问题的政策依然没有变化。为什么？

As the biggest coastal country of the South China Sea and a country dedicated to peaceful development, China sees peace and stability of the South China Sea as bearing on its vital interests. That is why China will never resort to force unless challenged with armed provocation. Despite the negative impact of factors both within and outside the region, China has not lost confidence and will stick to its policy of seeking peaceful settlement through bilateral negotiation and consultation, for the following reasons.

首先，通过谈判协商和平解决争端，是对国际法和国际关系基本准则的最大坚守。《联合国宪章》、《国际法原则宣言》等国际文件，均把谈判作为和平解决国际争端的首要方式。《联合国海洋法公约》要求当事国首先通过谈判解决海洋划界争端。中国和东盟国家在《南海各方行为宣言》中也就此作出郑重承诺。事实上，中国是现行国际秩序的获益者，同时也是模范遵守者和坚定捍卫者，中国将继续不折不扣地履行条约义务，严肃对待国际和地区责任，维护《公约》的完整性和权威性，维护国际法和国际法治。

First, peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiation and consultation best reflects adherence to international law and the basic norms of international relations. According to the UN Charter and the Declaration on Principles of International Law, negotiation is the primary way for peaceful settlement of international disputes. The UNCLOS stipulates that countries concerned should settle maritime delimitation disputes through negotiations as the first recourse, and China and ASEAN countries also made such solemn commitment in the DOC. The fact is, China has benefited from the existing international order, and has firmly observed and upheld such order. China will continue to honor its due obligations, earnestly fulfill international and regional responsibilities, uphold the integrity and authority of the UNCLOS and other international law, and safeguard the rule of law.

第二，通过谈判和平解决争端，是中国践行国际法治的成功实践。早在1950年代，中国就提出了根据和平共处五项原则协商解决历史遗留边界问题的倡议。自此以来，中国与14个陆地邻国中的12个通过谈判解决了边界问题，划定、勘定约20，000公里长的边界线，占中国陆地边界总长度的90%。中国还同越南谈判划定了两国在北部湾的海洋边界。其中，中俄（苏）边界谈了40多年，中越陆地边界谈了30多年，北部湾划界谈了20多年。我本人曾经部分地参与了某些边界问题的谈判解决进程。历史经验表明，通过谈判和平解决有关争端，最能体现各国的自主意愿和主权平等，在解决复杂的领土和海洋争端中具有独特的优势，最具有生命力。我们没有理由不通过和平谈判去解决南海争议。

Second, to settle disputes peacefully and through negotiations has been a successful practice of China in implementing international rule of law. Back in the 1950s, China has proposed addressing historical boundary issues through consultation under the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. In the following decades, China has resolved its boundary questions with 12 out of 14 land neighbors through negotiations. They have surveyed and demarcated around 20,000 kilometers of boundaries, about 90% of China’s land boundary. China and Vietnam have delimited maritime boundary at the Beibu Gulf through negotiation. Of all boundary talks, those between China and Russia lasted for over 40 years, between China and Vietnam on land boundary over 30 years, and on Beibu Gulf over 20 years. I personally have participated in some of the boundary talks, and I believe that peaceful negotiations can best reflect countries’ own will and sovereign equality and have unique strength and efficacy in addressing complex territorial and maritime disputes. There is no reason why disputes in the South China Sea cannot be resolved through peaceful negotiations.

第三，通过谈判协商和平解决争端，是管控和化解南海问题的必由之路。事实上，南海争议有关各方一直在通过谈判协商来探索争议和平解决，这也是《南海各方行为宣言》的明确规定，各方有着成熟有效的机制，“南海行为准则”磋商也不断取得务实进展。在此背景下，菲律宾居然独出心裁，跳出来搞所谓南海仲裁案。这完全是菲律宾强加给中国的，它建立在菲律宾一系列违法行为和非法诉求基础之上。实际上这背后隐藏着不良政治图谋，即有人有意挑事，刻意激化矛盾，怂恿对抗，唯恐南海不乱。仲裁庭没有管辖权，其自行扩权、越权审理并做出裁决，这违背了《公约》，是非法的、无效的。中国不参与、不接受这样的仲裁，不承认所谓的裁决，既是依据国际法维护自身权利，也是维护《公约》的完整性和权威性。我们希望美方对此秉持客观公允的态度。不要站在《公约》外指责维护《公约》的中国。听说仲裁结果很快就会出来了，出来就出来吧，没什么了不起，不过是一张废纸！近代以来，中国一直是霸权主义和强权政治的受害者，饱受西方列强欺辱，例如，一战后的凡尔赛和会出卖中国山东、日本侵略中国东三省后国联派出的李顿调查团为侵略者背书，即便是二战后美国主导的《旧金山和约》谈判也将中国排斥在外。如此种种，中国人记忆犹新。这就是为什么中国在领土主权问题上要把命运牢牢地掌握在自己手里，绝不接受任何第三方解决方案。

Third, peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiation and consultation is the only viable way to manage and resolve the South China Sea issue. The truth is, the parties concerned in the South China Sea issue have all along been working in this direction, which is also a clear provision in the DOC. The parties have established mature and effective mechanisms to this end, and the COC consultation has been making notable progress. Despite all this, the Philippines went on a pervert course of initiating arbitration without prior consultation with China. This is nothing but an act of imposition by the Philippines on China, and a culmination of the Philippines’ actions to advance its illegal claims. The truth behind the arbitration case is political intrigue, whereby certain countries have been deliberately provoking problems and stirring up tensions, eager to see turbulence in the South China Sea. The arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over this case. By making a so called “award”, it has willfully expanded its power, which is against the UNCLOS and is null and void.

By taking a position of not participating in or accepting the arbitration, China is upholding its own rights and interests under international law and safeguarding the integrity and authority of the UNCLOS. We hope that the US side will take an objective and fair approach regarding the arbitration, rather than criticizing China for upholding the UNCLOS from the position of a non-state party. The final award of the arbitration, which will come out in the next few days, amounts to nothing more than a piece of paper. China suffered enough from hegemonism, power politics and bullying by Western Powers since modern times. The Versailles peace conference at the end of World War I forced a sold-out of Shandong Province. The Lytton Commission, sent by the League of Nations when Japan invaded China’s northeast provinces, only served to justify Japan’s invasion. Even the US-led negotiations on San Francisco Peace Treaty excluded China. These episodes are still vivid in our memory. That is why China will grip its own future on issues of territorial sovereignty, and will never accept any solution imposed by a third party.