China urged the EU to be “objective and impartial” on the South China Sea issue and to be cautious in its words and deeds, following the EU’s comments on the weekend’s events.
Ted Alguib | AFP | Getty Images
China urged the EU to be “objective and impartial” on the South China Sea issue and to be cautious in its words and deeds, following the EU’s comments on the weekend’s events.
A statement from the Chinese mission to the EU showed that China expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with the EU’s “accusations” against China on this issue.
The statement stated that the EU is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to dictate the South China Sea issue.
The statement also said that the EU’s repeated “hype” on the issue of freedom of navigation “does not do any good to the EU’s own interests and international credibility.”
China and the Philippines blame each other A deliberate ramming of a Coast Guard vessel in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday was the latest in a series of escalating clashes.
The collision near Sabina Shoal was the fifth maritime confrontation in a month between the two countries in their long-running rivalry over the vital waterway.
In a statement on Sunday, the European Union said it condemned “the dangerous actions of Chinese coast guard ships targeting legitimate maritime operations in the Philippines.”
The European External Action Service said in a statement that recent incidents by Chinese and Philippine authorities “endanger the safety of life at sea and violate the rights of all countries to freedom of navigation and overflight under international law.”
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