Hong Lei made the comments at a media briefing on Friday responding to reporter's question on Japan's recent hyping up the South China Sea issue and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe more recently expressing "serious concern" over China's construction activities on islands and reefs of Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.
"China has voiced strong concern and indignation over Japan's negative moves, and has lodged solemn representations," Hong said.
"As a non-party to the South China Sea issue, Japan has been behaving very abnormally recently by deliberately interfering in the issue, stirring up dispute among regional countries and creating tension at sea."
He said China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its surrounding waters. He said China's construction activities on some garrisoned islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea is totally within its sovereignty. "They are lawful, reasonable and justified, which does not affect or target any other countries and beyond reproach".
"Japan's move neither contributes to resolving the South China Sea disputes nor protecting peace and stability in the South China Sea. It severely undermines security and political mutual trust between China and Japan and runs counter to improving bilateral ties," according to the spokesman.
Hong urged Japan to honor its commitment of not taking sides and respect the efforts of China and ASEAN countries to maintain peace in the South China Sea.
Xinhua - china.org.cn
12/6/15
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Beijing says Tokyo’s involvement in South China Sea issue could harm warming ties...
ReplyDeleteChina said Friday that Japanese actions regarding territorial disputes in the South China Sea threaten recent improvements in bilateral relations, which have begun to thaw after several years of heightened tensions.
The comments were the sharpest tongue-lashing Beijing has delivered to Tokyo in months, following an effort by Japan to rally Group of Seven members against China’s massive land reclamation projects and muscle-flexing in the South China Sea.
“The Chinese side expresses severe concerns and indignation about the negative moves taken by the Japanese side,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said during a regular press briefing in response to a question from state media.
The behavior “gravely harms the political and security trust between China and Japan and runs counter to the trend of improving ties,” he said.
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Japan lobbied other G-7 members to include a passage about China’s behavior in the South China Sea in the group’s closing statement issued after its recent leadership meeting in Germany.
The statement, which did not mention China by name, expressed strong opposition to “the use of intimidation, coercion or force, as well as any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo, such as large scale land reclamation.”.......Kyodo......http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/13/national/beijing-says-tokyos-involvement-in-south-china-sea-issue-could-harm-warming-ties/#.VXuoQVIpr2Z
13/6/15