Asia-Pacific region is a highland for cooperation and development, not a chessboard for geopolitical rivalry, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ming at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday, urging relevant parties to stop stirring-up tensions over maritime issues.
Mao made the statement in response to a media query regarding a joint statement issued by the defense ministers of the Philippines, Australia, Japan and the United States during the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus, which touched on the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
"Relevant countries have been hyping up false narratives on maritime issues and making groundless accusations against China. China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this. Currently the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea remains generally stable. Relevant parties should respect the efforts of regional countries to properly handle maritime issues through dialogue and consultation, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. The so-called '2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea' is nothing but a political farce under the guise of law, aimed at sowing discord and seeking selfish gains. The so-called 'award' is illegal, null and void, and has no binding force. China has never accepted or recognized it from the very beginning," she said.
"The Asia-Pacific region is a highland for cooperation and development, not a chessboard for geopolitical rivalry. Engaging in bloc politics and camp-based confrontation will not bring peace or security, nor will it serve the stability of the Asia-Pacific or the world at large," the spokeswoman continued.
China urges relevant parties to stop stirring-up tensions over maritime issues: spokeswoman
The torch relay for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games began on Saturday morning in Rome, marking the start of a two-month journey ahead of next year's opening ceremony.
The launch ceremony was held at the Stadio dei Marmi, an open-air arena lined with Roman-style statues next to Rome's Olympic Stadium.
At around 09:50, Giancarlo Peris, the final torchbearer of the 1960 Rome Games, brought the flame onto the launch stage. A torch was lit with the flame, and Giovanni Malago, president of the Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee, lit the cauldron with it.
The first torchbearer, Italy's Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, lit the relay torch from the cauldron and then ran a half-lap around the stadium to cheers from spectators, officially starting the relay.
Italian fencer Elisa Di Francisca and high jump Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi followed as the second and third torchbearers and completed their relay segments inside the stadium. Tamberi performed a torch kiss with the next runner, Achille Polonara, who carried the flame out of the stadium to begin the route through the city.
The relay will traverse 12,000 kilometers over 60 days across Italy, pass through more than 300 municipalities and feature celebrations in 60 cities, reach all 110 Italian provinces, and light up UNESCO sites along the route.
More than 10,000 torchbearers from all walks of life will take part in the relay, including figures from sectors of sports, culture, film and civil society.
The flame will see Christmas in Naples, New Year in Bari, and return to Cortina d'Ampezzo on January 26, 2026, the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games opening ceremony. The relay will conclude on February 6 at Milan's San Siro Stadium.
Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games' organizing committee, said the torch relay will strengthen the spirit of peace and hope for humanity.
"Our torch will pass through all cultural heritage sites. So along the way, we'll see both our nation's historical landmarks as well as natural landscapes. But what matters most are the people who embrace the torch as a symbol of peace and hope. Athletes and ordinary citizens carrying the Winter Olympics torch will carry the spirit all the way to Milan," he said.
Torch relay for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games starts in Rome
Torch relay for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games starts in Rome
