We recently received a formal request from the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Auckland to refrain from screening the documentary Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Seas by independent director Baby Ruth Villarama, on the grounds that “the film is rife with disinformation and false propaganda, to serve as [a] political tool for the Philippines.” In the interests of transparency and fairness, we are publishing their full position here, verbatim:
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To: Doc Edge
As we know, the documentary “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea” will be screened at the Doc Edge Festival on 4 July. This documentary disregarded history and facts and is designed to amplify the Philippines’ wrong position on the issue concerning the South China Sea and deliberately distort and hype up the maritime situation. The Chinese Consulate General in Auckland has the honor to clarify China’s position as follows：
China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea are based on solid historical and legal grounds, which are consistent with international law, including the UN Charter and UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Philippine territory is defined by a series of international treaties. China’s Nansha Qundao and Huangyan Dao are beyond the limits of the Philippine territory established by the above-mentioned treaties. The award rendered by the arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea is illegal, null and void. China neither accepts nor participates in that arbitration, neither accepts nor recognizes the award, and will never accept any claim or action arising from the award.
The responsibility for the escalation concerning the South China Sea issue between China and the Philippines lies fully with the Philippine side. The Philippines breached its commitments and the common understandings with China, violated the DOC and repeatedly acted in bad faith. The Philippines frequently infringed on China’s rights and made provocations at sea, brought in forces outside the region to form blocs and flex muscles in the South China Sea, and spread disinformation to vilify China and mislead the international perception on this matter, and this documentary is one of its instruments of distortion. Who exactly does the Philippine foreign policy serve now? Whose bidding is the Philippines doing with all these maritime actions? The answer is pretty clear to anyone with sound judgement. Trying desperately to justify the unjustifiable will not help the Philippines build trust with the international community.
The documentary “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea” is rife with disinformation and false propaganda, serving as a political tool for Philippines to pursue illegitimate claims in the South China Sea. Its screening would severely mislead the public and send the wrong message internationally. Primary Minister Luxon recently visited China and achieved fruitful results. We hope that you will act in the interest of public and China-New Zealand relations accountability by refraining from screening this documentary.
Sincerely,
Consulate-General of People’s Republic of China in Auckland
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Doc Edge stands by our Kaupapa and the festival’s independence and curatorial freedom. We are, however, happy to put forward the point of view of the Chinese Consulate-General for the sake of transparency and fairness. We encourage audiences to seek their own sources, view the film, and engage in open conversation and dialogue.
