China will not allow Japan and the Philippines to infringe upon its maritime rights and interests, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
"China has an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the waters east of Taiwan. Japan and the Philippines bypassed China to unilaterally begin the so-called 'maritime delimitation negotiations,' which seriously violates international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and basic norms governing international relations. The move also seriously infringes upon China's maritime rights and interests. China will absolutely not allow this," said Lin.
Japan, Philippines not allowed to infringe upon China's maritime rights
China has delivered tangible results since its accession to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) one year ago, said scholars and industry insiders at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the PSMA's entry into force in Shanghai on Friday.
The agreement, which took effect in China in April last year, is the first binding international agreement to specifically target illegal fishing, by preventing vessels engaged in such fishing from using ports to land their catches.
At the anniversary event, attendees highlighted China's progress in implementing the treaty. "The first batch of 23 designated ports open to foreign-flagged fishing vessels has been identified, spanning eight provincial coastal areas including Tianjin," said Xia Liang, a professor from Shanghai Ocean University, when delivering a speech at the event.
In addition to the concrete measures, China has actively fulfilled its obligations under the agreement over the past year.
"By joining the PSMA and taking action, China has shown its responsibility and commitment as a responsible fishing nation. In fact, even before joining, China's distant-water fleet had already been following the conservation rules set by regional fisheries organizations," said Zhao Gang, executive vice president of the China Overseas Fisheries Association.
China's fishing industry has long embraced responsible and sustainable practices, while academic institutions are also contributing to these efforts, with Shanghai Ocean University now serving as the national contact point for the PSMA.
"By linking research teams, industry bodies, international organizations, and practitioners, we can move academic research from 'on the page' to 'in action,'" said the Shanghai Ocean University President Hu Wei.
The Chinese government deposited its instrument of accession to the PSMA to the FAO on March 17 last year, one month before its accession.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said previously that the accession represents China's action to practice true multilateralism, and demonstrates the concrete effort of China to advance global ocean governance and uphold international maritime order.
China delivers tangible results since accession to PSMA: experts
