China’s foreign ministry summoned ambassadors from relevant countries and the EU delegation in Beijing on Tuesday and issued formal protests after 14 nations including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan and Australia jointly reaffirmed on Sunday that China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis under international law, marking the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 arbitration ruling.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a daily briefing that Europe had no right to comment on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea and called on European governments to be cautious in their words and deeds, warning that endorsing what Beijing calls an illegal ruling would harm China-EU ties and cooperation.
The joint statement, signed on July 12 by 14 nations, reaffirmed the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling as final and legally binding, and condemned destabilising or unilateral actions including the use of force or coercion in the contested waters. The EU issued a separate statement the same day calling the ruling a landmark decision in the peaceful settlement of disputes. China rejected the 2016 ruling as null and void when it was issued and has never accepted it. The other signatories included the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia.
China’s foreign ministry called the European side to be cautious in its words and deeds on the South China Sea and stop endorsing the ruling to prevent impact on China-EU ties and cooperation.
