Beijing condemns U.S. statement rejecting China's South China Sea claims

Record ID: 1562239

  • Title: Beijing condemns U.S. statement rejecting China's South China Sea claims
  • Date: 14th July 2020
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 14, 2020) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHAO LIJIAN ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, ZHAO LIJIAN, SAYING: "The U.S. statement ignores the history and objective facts of the South China Sea issue, violates the U.S. government's open commitment to the South China Sea's sovereignty issue, and violates and distorts international law. It intentionally stirs up controversy over maritime sovereignty claims, destroys regional peace and stability and is an irresponsible act." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, ZHAO LIJIAN, SAYING: "The U.S. will never succeed in its efforts at smearing. We express strong dissatisfaction towards the U.S.'s mistakes. We urge the U.S. to stop stirring up trouble in regards to the South China Sea issue and to not keep going further down the wrong track. China will continue to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and safety, resolutely safeguard its friendly cooperation and relations with other countries in the region, and resolutely safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 28th July 2020 12:01
  • Keywords: China Mike Pompeo South China Sea US Washington Zhao Lijian claims foreign ministry
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001CMS5CUF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: China's foreign ministry on Tuesday (July 14) condemned a recent statement by the United States rejecting China's claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea.
    China has offered no coherent legal basis for its ambitions in the South China Sea and for years has been using intimidation against other Southeast Asian coastal states, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday (July 13). The U.S. statement supports a ruling four years ago under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that invalidated most of China's claims for maritime rights in the South China Sea.
    "The U.S. statement ignores the history and objective facts of the South China Sea issue, violates the U.S. government's open commitment to the South China Sea's sovereignty issue, and violates and distorts international law. It intentionally stirs up controversy over maritime sovereignty claims, destroys regional peace and stability and is an irresponsible act," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told media during a regular briefing in Beijing.
    China claims 90% of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of it, through which about $3 trillion of trade passes each year. Beijing has built bases atop atolls in the region but says its intentions are peaceful.
    (Production: Martin Pollard, Thomas Suen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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