BEIJING: China has urged the European Union (EU) to be “objective and fair” and careful with words and acts on issues in the South China Sea, following the alliance remarked on an incident that took place over the weekend.
Beijing said it was strongly dissatisfied with the EU’s allegations against it on the issue, the Chinese mission to the European Union said in a statement. “The EU is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to point fingers on the matter,” it said.
It added the EU’s repeated “hyping up” on the freedom of navigation matter has no benefits to the European Union’s own interests and global credibility.” The Philippines and China exchanged allegations of intentionally ramming coast guard ships in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in an escalating series of clashes.
The crash near the Sabina Shoal was their 5th maritime confrontation in a month in a longstanding rivalry over the vital waterway, Reuters news agency reported. Earlier on Sunday, the EU denounced the “dangerous actions by China Coast Guard ships against legal Philippine maritime operations” in the sea.
In the statement, the European Union External Action Service said the recent incidents between Philippines and Chinese authorities endanger the safety of life at sea, and also violate the right to freedom of navigation and overflight to which all countries are entitled under global law.
