File photograph of an exterior view of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. /VCG
China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the assertion made by Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi ten years after the so-called “2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea,” a Chinese international ministry spokesperson mentioned on Sunday.
The assertion blatantly endorses the unlawful “award,” assaults China’s lawful claims and mischaracterizes Japan as a “legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea,” mentioned the spokesperson.
China urges Japan to cease smearing China, cease sowing disinformation within the South China Sea, and cease undermining peace and stability within the area, mentioned the spokesperson, including that China will proceed firmly defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and pursuits within the South China Sea.
Any makes an attempt to problem China’s lawful rights and pursuits and undermine peace and stability within the South China Sea are doomed to fail, the spokesperson mentioned.
The spokesperson identified that Japan is just not a celebration within the South China Sea and is in no place to move judgment on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and pursuits within the South China Sea.
During WWII, the spokesperson mentioned, Japan dedicated innumerable crimes that brought on untold struggling on China and its individuals, together with the unlawful occupation of islands and reefs within the South China Sea. Now a long time later, Japan, within the title of a “stakeholder,” is once more making an attempt to meddle within the South China Sea.
“This reminds people of Japan’s history of aggression and expansion, and heightens their vigilance against Japan’s neo-militarism agenda,” the spokesperson famous.
The spokesperson mentioned that China’s sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and related rights and pursuits within the South China Sea have been established within the lengthy course of historical past, and are solidly grounded within the legislation.
China’s actions within the South China Sea are totally legit, lawful and past reproach, mentioned the spokesperson, emphasizing that China’s rights within the South China Sea can in no way be denied by the makeshift “arbitral tribunal.”
In rendering the “award,” the “arbitral tribunal” exceeded its authority and abused its jurisdiction, and the “award” is of course unlawful, null and void, and has no binding pressure, mentioned the spokesperson, including that it has gravely undermined the sanctity and authority of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and dealt a critical blow to the worldwide rule of legislation.
China neither accepts nor acknowledges the “award,” and opposes and can by no means settle for any declare or motion arising from it, mentioned the spokesperson.
The spokesperson identified that by turning a blind eye to the obvious flaws within the “award” whereas overtly endorsing it, Japan has laid naked its double requirements and hypocrisy.
According to the “award,” Taiping Dao within the Nansha Qundao, an space that spans 500,000 sq. meters and has contemporary water, greens, fruits and poultry to maintain human habitation, is just not even thought of an island and subsequently can’t generate entitlement to unique financial zone (EEZ) and continental shelf, the spokesperson mentioned.
“If that could stand, how could Okinotori – nothing more than two tiny rocks of less than 10 square meters in the Pacific – possibly justify a claim to EEZ and continental shelf of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers?” the spokesperson famous, including that by that “standard,” a lot of Japan’s islands and reefs would likewise haven’t any foundation for claiming maritime rights and pursuits.
Since Japan has publicly endorsed the “award,” China has each purpose to consider that Japan has accepted the identical “standard” and voluntarily renounced the corresponding maritime claims, mentioned the spokesperson.
The spokesperson famous that what Japan actually cares about is just not the worldwide rule of legislation, however meddling in and destabilizing the South China Sea. For a while, Japan has been stepping up collaboration with the Philippines and increasing its export of weapons and gear to the nation. Japan has additionally deployed navy forces abroad on many events and launched offensive missiles.
“These actions go far beyond the scope of self-defense, break free from Japan’s Constitution and norms in the international law, and challenge the post-war international order. All this begs the question: what exactly is Japan’s real intention?” mentioned the spokesperson.
Source: CGTN