“南海行为准则”阻却声索国再提强制仲裁的可能性

Possibility of “Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” to Prevent Compulsory Arbitration Initiated by Claimant States

南海声索国援引《联合国海洋法公约》第十五部分再提强制仲裁的隐忧始终存在。“南海行为准则”作为管控危机与建立信心信任的工具,能否以及如何排除这一潜在危机,是我国始终关心的重要问题。“准则”可以明示排除各国援引《公约》强制仲裁程序,也可以基于国家自行选择争端解决方式、作为导致有拘束力裁决的区域性协议、通过发表排除性声明、以国家同意与自由意志默示排除。“准则”可能援引《东南亚友好合作条约》的争端解决机制遵守国家同意与善意原则的要求。在对策方面,我国应当避免将南海仲裁案裁决结果反映在“准则”中;明示或默示排除诉诸强制仲裁,为启动强制程序制造阻碍;综合利用多重手段解决争端,为应诉提前做好法律与外交准备。

A hidden risk that the claimant states of the South China Sea submit compulsory arbitration procedure provided in Part XV of UNCLOS has always existed.Whether and how“Code of Conduct in the South China Sea”,an instrument of crisis management and confidence building,eliminates potential crisis,is the core issue our country always cares about.“Code”could explicitly exclude claimant states’compulsory processes by invoking the convention,or could also use the implied exclusion by state’s consent and free will based on its own choice of settling dispute and exclusive statement made by the regional agreement with restriction adjudication.“Code”may quote dispute settlement mechanism of Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia,which requires abiding by the principle of nation’s consent and good faith.For suggestions,China should avoid invoking findings of the South China Sea arbitration in“code”,exclude compulsory arbitration explicitly or implicitly to create obstacles to start compulsory procedure,and apply comprehensive approaches to settle disputes to make legal and diplomatic preparations in advance for responding to litigation.