The Chinese Embassy Manila on Saturday, 14 March, cited a 1990 letter from a Philippine diplomat as supposed evidence disputing the Philippines’ claim over Scarborough Shoal amid continuing tensions in the South China Sea.

In a statement, Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei said the document was written on 5 February 1990 by then Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido A. Tan Jr. to German HAM radio operator Dieter Löffler.

According to Guo, the letter stated: “According to the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the Scarborough Reef or Huangyan Dao does not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines.”

The embassy presented a photo of the letter while responding to recent remarks by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela regarding the South China Sea dispute.

Guo said the document was among the materials the embassy cited to counter Tarriela’s claim that Scarborough Shoal is Philippine territory.

The Chinese official also reiterated Beijing’s long-standing position that China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the Nanhai Zhudao, or the South China Sea islands, and their surrounding waters, citing what he described as historical and legal evidence.

Guo further claimed that the Philippines’ occupation of some islands and reefs in the Nansha Qundao, or Spratly Islands, since the 1970s was the root cause of the dispute.

The embassy also maintained that China does not recognize the 2016 arbitration ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), arguing that the Philippines initiated the arbitration unilaterally without China’s consent.

“The award does not affect China’s territorial sovereignty or maritime rights. Attempts to glorify it cannot resolve disputes or legitimize the Philippines’ claims,” Guo said.