China firmly opposes and strongly condemns a joint statement issued by the United Kingdom and other countries 10 years after the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Award," China's embassy in the UK said on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the embassy said the statement disregarded the basic facts of the South China Sea and endorsed the "award," which is illegal, null and void, challenged China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and disrupted regional peace and stability.
The spokesperson added that the so-called "arbitration" violated fundamental principles of international law and contravened the integrity and authority of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
China has stated from the outset that it does not accept or recognize the "award," and nor will China accept any claim or action based on it, the spokesperson said.
The UK is not a party to the South China Sea issue and is in no position to make irresponsible remarks on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, according to the spokesperson.
The embassy has urged the UK to respect facts, quit joining the anti-China show staged by a handful of countries, and stop fanning tensions and stirring up troubles in the region.
China slams UK over joint statement on South China Sea
Local armed police and militiamen were busy carrying out relief work in the typhoon-hit areas of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday, as the massive clear-up operation continues following the devastating flooding which decimated several rural communities.
At least 39 people were killed after Typhoon Maysak, the 10th typhoon of the year, triggered extreme rainstorms that caused severe flooding in parts of Guangxi in the Pearl River basin starting last weekend.
As the storms recede, rescue and recovery teams are continuing to provide aid to previously cut-off communities in the badly-hit city of Hengzhou, after the town's main road was reopened on Saturday.
In the city's Yunbiao Town, over 1,000 officers and soldiers of the Guangxi Corps of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force worked to clear sludge and debris from the National Highway 209 -- a major thoroughfare -- on Monday, before turning their attention to other local roads and lanes, as well as a local kindergarten, with the hope of allowing normal life to resume in the disaster-stricken town.
Additionally, the Guangxi Military District of the Chinese People's Liberation Army deployed more than 2,200 troops and militiamen to assist with post-disaster reconstruction in the affected areas on Monday.
Their operations covered towns, districts, and industrial zones across several cities, with key tasks including the removal of sludge and debris, carrying out essential disinfection and epidemic prevention work, and the transportation of vital relief supplies.
So far, they have cleared mud and debris totaling over 40,000 square meters and removed more than 60 tonnes of garbage from the areas, while over six kilometers of roads have been re-opened with over 8,000 supply items items being brought to areas in need.
Armed police, militiamen dispatched to aid flood relief efforts in disaster-hit Guangxi
