China issues statement on certain countries' playing up of so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Award"

The "South China Sea arbitration" violates fundamental principles of international law such as "state consent" and "pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept)", contravenes the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) itself, and runs counter to the basic facts of the South China Sea, said a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

The statement was issued in response to the joint statement released by the governments of the United States of America, the Republic of the Philippines, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom on the so-called "South China Sea arbitration award" on Sunday.

China has sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao (the South China Sea Islands), consisting of Dongsha Qundao (the Dongsha Islands), Xisha Qundao (the Xisha Islands), Zhongsha Qundao (the Zhongsha Islands) and Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands). China is the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters. Nanhai Zhudao have long been widely recognized by the international community as part of China's territory, the statement said.

The statement said South China Sea is one of the safest sea lanes in the world, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea has never been a problem.

China firmly upholds its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and remains steadfast in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, while the U.S. and other external countries have been persistently reinforcing military presence in the South China Sea, throwing their weight around and fanning the flames, and these acts of militarization and coercion constitute the primary challenge to the current situation in the South China Sea, it said.

The statement said China will continue to uphold the fundamental principles of international law and basic norms of international relations as affirmed by the United Nations Charter, including respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes, and remain committed to resolving the relevant disputes in the South China Sea through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned, on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law, so as to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, it said.

Noting that China's position on the "South China Sea arbitration" has been clear, consistent and firm, the statement said the so-called "award" is nothing but a worthless piece of paper that is illegal, null and void, and has no binding force, adding that China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall not be affected by the "award" under any circumstances.

China urges the relevant countries to earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, stop stirring up trouble over the South China Sea issue, and cease undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea, it said.

China issues statement on certain countries' playing up of so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Award"

Militiamen and emergency crews launched a massive cleanup and repair operation across China's eastern Zhejiang Province on Sunday, tackling widespread mud, uprooted trees, and power outages left in the aftermath of Typhoon Bavi.

Typhoon Bavi, the ninth typhoon of the year, made two landfalls in Zhejiang Province -- late Saturday on the coast of Yuhuan in Taizhou, then shortly after midnight on the coast of Yueqing in Wenzhou.

It caused waterlogging and road blocks in cities such as Taizhou, Wenzhou, and Jiaxing.

In Yuhuan, where heavy rainfall left urban streets coated in thick mud, local militiamen were deployed to clear main thoroughfares to restore regular traffic and normal life.

In Wenzhou's Yongjia County, surging water levels near a section of the Hangzhou-Shenzhen railway threatened a local museum, prompting militiamen to erect sandbag barricades to protect the public facility.

Fallen trees and debris cut off roads in other parts of Wenzhou, including Yueqing, Longgang, and Dongtou, requiring militiamen equipped with power saws to clear traffic lanes.

In Jiaxing, the typhoon caused severe disruption to public transit networks , leaving more than 2,600 rail passengers stranded at the Jiaxing South railway station. Militiamen and local railway police were deployed to evacuate stranded passengers.

Typhoon Bavi also caused heavy damage to the power grid in Taizhou, prompting local electricity departments to start emergency repair after multiple power lines failed.

By 14:00 local time on Sunday, state grid workers had inspected 266 substations, reinforced over 3,200 outdoor terminal boxes, and cleared nearly 10,000 trees obstructing transmission lines.

Authorities have also deployed 36 mobile power generator vehicles to vulnerable areas.

While 80 percent of the primary power grid has been successfully repaired, intensive emergency work continues to restore local distribution lines, according to the local authorities.

China's Zhejiang starts cleanup, power repairs after Typhoon Bavi hits coast