--- description: The Philippines wants the U.N. to weigh in on its maritime dispute with the China, despite Beijing’s refusal to participate title: Philippines Submits Dossier to U.N. Over South China Sea Dispute image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc22002939f3357f2/698688131eebf766b53701f2/philippines1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [South China Sea](/tag/south-china-sea/) ## South China Sea Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Philippines Wants the U.N. to Step in On its Territorial Disputes with China by [David Stout](/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 31, 2014 10:08 AM CUT  Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario (L) stands next to Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza during a news conference in Manila March 30, 2014. Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario (L) stands next to Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza during a news conference in Manila March 30, 2014.Romeo Ranoco - Reuters by [David Stout](/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 31, 2014 10:08 AM CUT The Philippines has submitted a [4,000-page dossier](http://www.gov.ph/2014/03/30/statement-of-the-secretary-of-foreign-affairs-ph-files-memorial-under-unclos-against-china/ "undefined") to a U.N. tribunal calling for international arbitration with China over overlapping claims in the restive South China Sea. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the country decided to reach out to the U.N. in order to protect “freedom of navigation for all nations” and preserve peace in the region. “With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of the Memorial is our national interest. It is about defending what is legitimately ours,” said Rosario in a statement released Sunday. Chinese officials were quick to dismiss the Philippines’ move and reiterated their long held position of refraining from resolving territorial disputes through international channels. “China has stated time and again that it does not accept the Philippines’ submission of disputes with China in the South China Sea for international arbitration,” said [Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei ](http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw/s2510/t1142356.shtml "undefined")in a statement posted online Sunday night. “This position stays unchanged.” The Philippines has been locked in an increasingly tense standoff with China over specific claims in the South China Sea. On Saturday, a Philippines vessel managed to squeak past a Chinese ship in order to deliver supplies to a group of Filipino soldiers stationed on a shipwrecked craft on Second Thomas Shoal, 200 km off the coast of Palawan. Earlier this month, Chinese vessels reportedly blocked two earlier attempts by Philippine ships to resupply the troops, [according](http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/589971/ph-defies-china-warning "undefined") to the _Philippine Daily Inquirer_. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/43362/philippines-china-un-intervention-south-china-sea/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/43362/philippines-china-un-intervention-south-china-sea/"},"headline":"The Philippines Wants the U.N. to Step in On its Territorial Disputes with China","datePublished":"2014-03-31T10:08:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:02:37.281Z","description":"The archipelago nation wants the U.N. to weigh in on its contested claims with China in the hotly contested South China Sea, but Beijing refuses to accept international arbitration","url":"https://time.com/43362/philippines-china-un-intervention-south-china-sea/","keywords":["South China Sea","China","Philippines"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc22002939f3357f2/698688131eebf766b53701f2/philippines1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"David Stout","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/david-stout/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc22002939f3357f2/698688131eebf766b53701f2/philippines1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Philippine Foreign Secretary Del Rosario stands next to Solicitor General Jardeleza during a news conference in Manila","caption":"Philippine Foreign Secretary Del Rosario stands next to Solicitor General Jardeleza during a news conference in Manila","creditText":"Romeo Ranoco - Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/south-china-sea/","name":"South China Sea"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/43362/philippines-china-un-intervention-south-china-sea/","name":"The Philippines Wants the U.N. to Step in On its Territorial Disputes with China"}}]}] ```