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 micro-account of the Chinese Mission to the EU reported on September 2 that the spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU, in response to a question from a reporter, commented on a statement made by the spokesperson of the European External Action Service concerning the South China Sea.

**Q: On September 1, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service issued a statement condemning dangerous actions taken by Chinese coast guard vessels in South China Sea waters against Philippine vessels. The statement said that this endangers the safety of maritime personnel, infringes upon navigation freedom that all countries are entitled to under international law, and claims that it upholds international norms such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 South China Sea arbitration award, while supporting partner countries in exercising their lawful rights. What does China have to say about this? **

**A: The Xianbin Jiao is part of China’s Nansha Islands and is China’s inherent territory. For some time now, Philippine coast guard vessels have continued to unlawfully stay inside the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao, and have unilaterally changed the current situation of Xianbin Jiao being unoccupied and having no facilities. China has repeatedly raised solemn representations to the Philippines through diplomatic channels, urging the Philippines to immediately withdraw the relevant vessels. The Philippines, rather than paying any attention, has instead escalated its actions. Coast guard vessels that have unlawfully stayed there have continued to provoke incidents inside the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao, and even deliberately rammed the Chinese coast guard vessels engaged in normal rights protection and law enforcement in a dangerous manner. The above facts are very clear. The spokesperson of the Chinese Coast Guard Authority has issued remarks at the first opportunity. China’s on-site operations are legitimate and lawful, professional and standardized, and there is no dispute. The responsibility for the collision between the two vessels rests entirely with the Philippines.

The EU is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to butt in. The European side persists in ignoring facts, twists the truth, and openly provides backing for the Philippines’ provocations that infringe upon China’s sovereignty over its territory. What kind of ulterior motive is behind this behavior of “taking sides by skewing,” stoking tensions and pouring fuel on the fire? The South China Sea is the world’s safest and freest sea area for navigation. There is no problem with freedom of navigation. The “South China Sea arbitration case” is nothing more than 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 publicizing the issue of freedom of navigation and the “South China Sea arbitration case,” the European side is not only at odds with the common aspiration of countries in the region to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, but also brings no benefit to the EU’s own interests or its international reputation.

Regarding the European side’s related accusations, China is strongly dissatisfied, firmly opposes them, and will not accept them. We urge the European side to face the true facts, uphold objectivity and fairness, speak prudently and carefully 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. China will continue, in accordance with the law, to take strong 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.

The Daily Economic News

[Editor: Wang Zhiqiang HF013])

     【Disclaimer】This article only represents the author’s personal views and is not related to Hexun. The Hexun website remains neutral regarding the statements, viewpoints, and judgments made in the text, and does not provide any explicit or implicit guarantee regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the content contained therein. Readers are requested to use this information for reference only and bear all responsibility for their own actions.

Report