China rebukes EU over statement about South China Sea

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BEIJING (Reuters) – China has rebuked the European Union over a statement about the South China Sea, saying the bloc ignored historical and objective facts of the issue and “blatantly” endorsed what it called the Philippines’ violation of its sovereignty.

On Friday, the EU issued a statement to mark the eighth anniversary of arbitration on the region’s sovereignty which was in the Philippines’ favour.

The Chinese mission to the European Union said it is was strongly dissatisfied with, and resolutely opposed to, the statement.

Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday that the arbitration case was “essentially a political farce in legal garb”.

“The Philippine side, at the expense of its relations with China, has actually fallen into a trap set by the U.S. and Western countries … and become a tool for some countries to build a small circle of anti-China, China-suppressing states.”

China claims control over almost the entire South China Sea, including the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a rusty warship that it deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims and which has been central to a recent standoff between the two countries.

China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that Beijing’s expansive claims had no basis under international law. The case was brought to the court by the Philippines.

The U.S. State Department on Thursday issued its own statement to mark the 2016 ruling, in which it criticised China’s “use of water cannons, dangerous maneuvers, and destructive tactics.”

“The People’s Republic of China’s actions reflect a blatant disregard for international law as well as the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos,” the State Department said.

China maintains that its actions in the South China Sea have been lawful and professional.

Philippines National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano on Friday told reporters in Manila his country did not want war and that efforts were underway to de-escalate tensions.