Despite the Note Verbale sent to the PCA on 1 August 2013, in which it reiterated “its position that it does not accept the arbitration initiated by the Philippines”, China has now reacted to the initiation of arbitration procedures through an official statement published in the Government’s website. You can have access to the whole document here: Position Paper of the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Matter of Jurisdiction in the South China Sea Arbitration Initiated by the Republic of the Philippines. The deadline for an official reply from PRC to the arbitration court is the 15 December 2014.
De Maribus 