China urges relevant parties to stop stirring-up tensions over maritime issues: spokeswoman

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

A China Media Group (CMG) reporter helped evacuate Chinese nationals stranded at Dubai International Airport before it was damaged in an ''incident" early on Sunday morning.

The reporter, who went to the airport by car to investigate flight delays, met several stranded Chinese nationals at the airport who had been unable to leave on their scheduled flights as the Middle East conflict forced airlines to stall operations.

The Chinese passengers said after they arrived a little before 19:00, the check-in counter was closed, raising their concern that the airport might be taken over by the military.

"I was thinking of finding some chairs for the kids to sleep on before going back to ask what was going on. At first, the airport staff offered to help, but then some people who looked like soldiers came and told us to leave," said a Chinese passenger.

Footage from the reporter showed that the area outside the airport was almost deserted, with very few vehicles. Public transportation had been suspended early, and only police cars were parked on both sides of the road, with emergency staff signaling all civilian vehicles to leave immediately.

Dubai Airports confirmed that a concourse at Dubai International Airport later sustained minor damage in what it referred to as an “incident”. Emergency response teams were immediately deployed and were managing the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities. Aviation sources told Reuters news agency that one of the terminals had been damaged during an overnight Iranian attack.

The Dubai Media Office said that four staff members sustained injuries and received prompt medical attention.

CMG reporter helps evacuate Chinese nationals from Dubai airport