China urges Europe to stop endorsing illegal 'South China Sea Arbitration Award'

China urges European states to act prudently and stop endorsing the illegal "South China Sea Arbitration Award" to avoid disrupting relations and cooperation with China, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday.

Several European countries recently joined the United States and the Philippines in issuing a joint statement on the so-called "award" 10 years after its issuance, and the European Union released a separate statement.

"The joint statement ten years after the 'South China Sea arbitration award' issued by the U.S. and the Philippines together with several European countries, plus the EU statement, are a distortion of facts and act of vilification against China. We deplore and reject them. The head of the Department of European Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry has lodged strong protests respectively with the heads of the diplomatic missions of the countries concerned and the EU delegation to China. China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao 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 position on the 'South China Sea arbitration' is clear, consistent and firm," said Lin.

"To begin with, the 'tribunal', an ad hoc body patched up to serve a political agenda, has no authority or impartiality to speak of. The 'arbitration' violates fundamental principles of international law. It is nothing but a stunt pulled by a handful of Western countries for the political purpose of containing China. China neither accepts nor recognizes the 'award,' and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it. Certain European countries need to be reminded that blatantly applying double standards on issues concerning international law will only further erode their own credibility on the international stage, and does not help deepen mutual trust between China and Europe. Europe is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to pass judgment on China's legitimate territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. We urge the EU side to act prudently, stop endorsing the illegal 'award,' and not to affect the China-EU ties and cooperation," said Lin.

China urges Europe to stop endorsing illegal 'South China Sea Arbitration Award'

China urges Europe to stop endorsing illegal 'South China Sea Arbitration Award'

The ploy by the U.S. to cite "forced labor" in expanding tariffs is nothing more than a pretext to restrict market access and reshape the global economic order, said Mohammad Faisal, Executive Director of Indonesia's Center of Reform on Economics (CORE).

The U.S. recently broadened its tariff measures under a law banning imports made with forced labor, defined as work performed under coercion or threat without workers' consent.

While Washington presents the move as a human‑rights safeguard, critics have slammed it as a protectionist tool that risks squeezing investment and stalling industrialization in developing nations.

"This is I think is just the cover. So basically it is a way of the U.S. to control which countries that actually can get access to the market. Which means also indirectly actually to make a regulation and rules for the economic order," he said.

Faisal stressed that the United States' escalating trade restrictions are also creating new uncertainties for Indonesia's own development strategy. If external policies continue to tighten, Indonesia's space for attracting investment and developing its manufacturing sector will be squeezed.

"In my view, apart from textiles, many other sectors including the high tech, including the critical minerals, the downstreaming policy, which is the Indonesian priority policy, right now is in danger because of this," he said.

Faisal further noted that the United States' reinforced trade barriers are accelerating bloc‑based fragmentation in global trade and investment, posing fresh challenges to the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Indonesia economist slams US "forced labor" tariff ploy as protectionist