Commentary exposes Japan's conspiracies in South China Sea

Japan's primary role behind the so-called "2016 South China Sea Arbitration" exposes the evil intentions of its right-wing forces to destabilize the region, promote military buildup, and ultimately resurrect militarism by utilizing the issue, a China Media Group commentary said on Tuesday.

An edited English version of the commentary is as follows:

Ten years after the so-called South China Sea arbitral award, Japan, which is not a party to the South China Sea issue, has once again come out to spout off, with its Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi openly supporting the illegal award and criticizing China's legitimate claims.

In the meantime, Japan issued a so-called 14-nation "joint statement" along with the United States, the Philippines and other countries, denying China's historic rights in the South China Sea.

This long-premeditated political stunt exposes Japan's malicious intentions to intervene in the South China Sea and destabilize the region.

China has made serious demarches to Japan, expressed strong opposition and protest, and stated that it will resolutely and vigorously counter Japan's provocations and firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

In fact, Japan was the primary actor behind the so-called "arbitration."

The main manipulator behind the "South China Sea Arbitration Case" ruling ten years ago was Japan. Shunji Yanai, Japanese right-wing judge and then president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, appointed four out of the five arbitrators -- the remaining one by the Philippines -- to hastily assemble the "arbitral tribunal," which overstepped its jurisdiction and rendered an unjust judgment.

The "award" violates international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is nothing but a worthless piece of paper, which is not accepted and recognized by China and is despised by international observers.

Japan has been playing a key role in the United States' so-called "Indo-Pacific Strategy," attempting to encircle China by arming the Philippines and creating frictions in the South China Sea, and then connecting the issue with the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

Besides, creating tensions in the South China Sea is a stock-in-trade of Japan's right-wing forces to promote military buildup.

From manipulating the "arbitration" a decade ago, to supplying offensive weapons to the Philippines in recent years, and to the overseas deployment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and live-fire exercises abroad, Japan is breaking through the bottom line of its exclusively defense-oriented principle with every step it takes, aiming to get rid of the constraints of its status as a defeated country, accelerate "remilitarization," and rebuild its long-range military projection capabilities so as to pave the way for the revival of militarism.

Moreover, Japan is trying to tie Southeast Asian countries to its chariot through military aid and security cooperation, so as to undermine ASEAN's consensus on China and expand its regional influence.

It's also using the illegal "award" to export its self-serving maritime rules, reviving its pre-war colonial fantasy of being a "major maritime power."

Japan is one of the major external saboteurs of peace and stability in the South China Sea. Its actions challenge the post-war international order and the international rule of law, and go against the common interests and aspirations of countries in the region.

China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea have full historical and legal basis and are not affected by the illegal "award" under any circumstances.

Currently, consultations between China and ASEAN countries on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea have entered a key stage, with all parties expecting to complete the process this year to provide "golden rules" for managing differences, enhancing mutual trust, and promoting cooperation.

Japan should deeply reflect on its history of aggression, abide by its commitments under its pacifist constitution, immediately stop utilizing the South China Sea issue to sow discord, and stop undermining peace and stability in the region.

Any attempt to stir up trouble in the South China Sea is doomed to fail, and the general trend of peace, cooperation and friendliness is unstoppable.

Commentary exposes Japan's conspiracies in South China Sea

China remains a major source of revenue and a key supply-chain base for European companies, according to a new survey by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Nearly one in four chamber members said revenue generated in China accounted for more than a quarter of their global revenue, the chamber's Business Confidence Survey 2026 showed.

The survey also highlighted China's continuing role in companies' sourcing strategies. Ninety-four percent of respondents said the market was important to their procurement operations, citing its advantages in delivery speed, reliability and quality.

China's manufacturing efficiency remains a major factor. Seventy-five percent of surveyed companies said their production efficiency in China was higher than in other parts of the world, supported by what the chamber described as an efficient and highly cost-competitive supply-chain system.

The findings help explain why European executives have continued to visit China this year, looking beyond established business centers to assess opportunities in regional industrial hubs.

Adam Dunnett, secretary general of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, has visited six Chinese cities in the first half of this year. He recently led a delegation of about 120 EU companies to Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China, where they examined opportunities in artificial intelligence, energy storage and manufacturing.

"Guangxi, with the new canal that they've built, has now become the gateway to ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. I was in Chongqing earlier this year as well -- [It has] very strong motorcycle industry, computer industry, semiconductor industry. So, in China, there's pockets of, you know, industrial strength in different cities and provinces. And, yeah, you have to go out there and explore it to understand what's happening," Dunnett said.

Mathias Boyer, chair of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, said companies needed to increase investment in China-based research and development to keep pace with local innovation.

"My reading of the numbers, and also when I talk to companies, is that China is still an extremely important basis for supply. You need to invest more in China -- in China R and D -- to be on par with Chinese innovation. The Chinese authorities' [decision] to implement this policy of visa-free travel to China [is important], because I think it really is easy for leadership from headquarters to come to China to see innovation," Boyer said.

China remains central to European firms' supply chains, survey finds