Spokesperson of the EU Delegation to the European Union responds to questions from reporters regarding the EU External Action Service spokesperson's statement on the South China Sea.

The official WeChat account of the Chinese Mission to the EU reported on September 2 that the spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU responded to a question from a reporter regarding a statement by the spokesperson of the EU External Action Service concerning the South China Sea.

Q: On September 1, the spokesperson of the EU External Action Service issued a statement condemning the China Coast Guard ships for taking dangerous actions against Philippine vessels in waters in the South China Sea, saying that this action endangers the lives and safety of maritime personnel, violates the freedom of navigation that all countries enjoy under international law, and claims that it adheres to international norms such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award, and supports partner countries in exercising their lawful rights. What comment does the Chinese side have on this?

A: Xianbin Jiao is part of China’s Nansha Islands and is China’s inherent territory. For some time now, the Philippine coast guard vessels have continued to illegally remain inside the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao in China’s Nansha Islands, and have unilaterally changed the current situation of Xianbin Jiao, which is uninhabited and has no facilities. The Chinese side has, on multiple occasions, raised solemn representations to the Philippines through diplomatic channels, demanding that the Philippines immediately withdraw the relevant vessels. Not only did the Philippines ignore this, but it escalated further: the coast guard vessels that were illegally remaining continued to provoke and cause incidents in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao, and even deliberately rammed the Chinese coast guard vessels that are carrying out normal rights protection and law enforcement in dangerous ways. The facts above are crystal clear. The spokesperson of the Chinese Coast Guard Bureau has, in the first instance, issued a statement. The on-site operations by the Chinese side were justified, lawful, professional, and compliant with regulations—there is no room for objection. The responsibility for the collision between the two ships lies entirely with the Philippines.

The EU is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to meddle in the South China Sea issue. The EU stubbornly disregarded the facts, inverted black and white, and openly backed up and endorsed the Philippines’ provocation of violating China’s sovereignty over its territory. What ulterior motive does this kind of “taking sides with bias while pouring oil on the flames”—behavior serve? The South China Sea is the world’s safest and freest sea area for navigation, and there is no problem with freedom of navigation at all. The “South China Sea Arbitration Case” is nothing more than a political manipulation and a political farce. The so-called award itself seriously violates international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. By repeatedly hyping up issues of freedom of navigation and the “South China Sea Arbitration Case,” the EU not only runs counter to the shared aspiration of countries in the region to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, but also brings no benefit to the EU’s own interests and its international reputation.

Regarding the EU’s relevant accusations, the Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied, firmly opposes them, and will not accept them under any circumstances. We urge the EU to face up to the facts, adhere to objectivity and fairness, speak cautiously and prudently on the South China Sea issue, and earnestly respect China’s rights and interests as well as the efforts made by regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Chinese side will continue, in accordance with the law, to take effective measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and to uphold the seriousness of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Economic Daily News

(Editor-in-charge: Wang Zhiqing HF013)

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