In a statement delivered on Sunday, China Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong responded to heightened tensions in the South China Sea, attributing the region’s biggest security threats to external forces led by the United States. Sun criticized Washington for its military deployments and operations, which he argued are disrupting regional peace and stability. His comments followed his participation in several senior officials’ meetings on East Asian cooperation.
Sun reiterated China’s longstanding claim of “indisputable sovereignty” over the islands in the South China Sea and reaffirmed China’s commitment to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) with ASEAN countries. He also emphasized China’s active role in negotiating the Code of Conduct for the maritime region.
Emotions in the South China Sea have run high for decades due to disputes involving multiple nations, including China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The United States has conducted regular military exercises in the South China Sea since 2015, mainly to support the Philippines, which claims an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the area according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The regional situation escalated further after the Philippines accused China of dismantling a floating barrier it had erected last year. This led to additional condemnations and military maneuvers, including the deployment of Philippine ships to a disputed part of the South China Sea in response to reports that China was constructing an artificial island.
Amid these developments, Sun Weidong highlighted China’s firm opposition to what he termed as “cold war mentality” and the confrontational tactics of external powers. He stated that such actions could lead to an arms race, undermining regional harmony and using regional countries as “pawns” in broader geopolitical strategies.
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