An official from the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the chief minister of the Japanese Embassy in China on Sunday to lodge solemn representations and voice strong dissatisfaction and protest.
The move came after Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi played up the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Award" 10 years after its issuance and Japan issued a relevant joint statement with other countries.
The Chinese side pointed out that Japan bears historical responsibilities on the South China Sea issue and has never reckoned with them, thus it is in no position to pass judgment.
Japan's egregious words and deeds challenge the postwar international order and the international rule of law. By applying double standards and stirring up troubles, Japan undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea and runs counter to the shared interests and aspirations of regional countries. It has aroused the historical alarm and strong indignation of the international community, including China, over Japan's aggressive and colonial atrocities since modern times.
China will resolutely and forcefully counter Japan's provocation and firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
China also made stern representations on the Taiwan question, Japan's abandoned chemical weapons, Japanese parliamentarians' groundless remarks on China's ethnic policies, and a series of negative trends in Japan's military and security.
China lodges representations against Japan's words, deeds on South China Sea
Several regions in southern Iran's Hormozgan province were attacked on Sunday evening, with one person killed and two others wounded on Farur Island, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Citing an informed source, Tasnim reported all victims were with the province's telecommunications company.
Earlier, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that explosions were heard Sunday evening in the port city of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, both in Hormozgan.
The explosion sounds came from east of Bandar Abbas and Mesen village south of Qeshm Island, it added.
Meanwhile, Iran's official news agency IRNA cited Qeshm Governor Hossein Amir-Teymouri as saying that 10 to 11 "enemy" projectiles had hit the island.
Amir-Teymouri added that only military targets had been struck, with no casualties caused, IRNA reported.
U.S. media reported Sunday that American forces had carried out several strikes on Iranian missile and air defense systems and had also targeted small speedboats belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) at several locations around the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. Central Command said on X that its forces began launching more strikes against Iran "to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
Earlier the day, in response to fresh attacks by the United States, the IRGC launched counterattacks against American assets in the region, targeting a U.S. air base in Jordan, Patriot air defense systems in Kuwait, U.S. military communications and radar stations in Bahrain, and the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
1 killed, 2 wounded in latest attacks on southern Iran: media
