China strongly deplores Japanese FM's statement on South China Sea: spokesperson

China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the statement made by Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi 10 years after the so-called "2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea", a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing on Sunday.

The statement blatantly endorses the illegal "award", attacks China's lawful claims and mischaracterizes Japan as a "legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea", said the spokesperson.

Japan is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to pass judgment on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. During World War II, Japan committed innumerable crimes that caused untold suffering on China and its people, including the illegal occupation of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, said the spokesperson.

Now decades later, Japan, in the name of a "stakeholder", is again attempting to meddle in the South China Sea. This reminds people of Japan's history of aggression and expansion, and heightens their vigilance against Japan's neo-militarism agenda, said the spokesperson.

China's sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in the law. China's activities in the South China Sea are fully legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. China's rights in the South China Sea can by no means be denied by the makeshift "arbitral tribunal", said the spokesperson.

In rendering the "award", the "arbitral tribunal" exceeded its authority and abused its jurisdiction. The "award" is naturally illegal, null and void, and has no binding force. It has gravely undermined the sanctity and authority of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and dealt a serious blow to the international rule of law, said the spokesperson.

China neither accepts nor recognizes the "award", and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it, the spokesperson added.

By turning a blind eye to the glaring flaws in the "award" while openly endorsing it, Japan has laid bare its double standards and hypocrisy, said the spokesperson.

What Japan really cares about is not the international rule of law, but meddling in and destabilizing the South China Sea. For some time, Japan has been stepping up collaboration with the Philippines and expanding its export of weapons and equipment to the country. Japan has also deployed military forces overseas on many occasions and launched offensive missiles. These actions go far beyond the scope of self-defense, break free from Japan's Constitution and norms in the international law, and challenge the post-war international order, said the spokesperson.

China urges Japan to stop smearing China, stop sowing disinformation in the South China Sea, and stop undermining peace and stability in the region, said the spokesperson, adding that China will continue firmly defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

Any attempts to challenge China's lawful rights and interests and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said.

China strongly deplores Japanese FM's statement on South China Sea: spokesperson

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.

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