While attending the annual ASEAN Plus foreign ministers’ meetings, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi responded to reporters’ questions on Saturday regarding the South China Sea issue.
Wang, who also serves on the Communist Party of China’s Political Bureau, noted that the South China Sea is a recurring topic at these meetings. This year, he observed a clear contrast between the calm stance of regional countries and the continued agitation by some nations from outside the region.
At the China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, Wang said discussions around the South China Sea were more composed and confident, reflecting the region’s overall stability. Unlike other seas, there are no current issues with navigation or overflight in the South China Sea.
He pointed out that some non-regional countries persist in making baseless statements about the South China Sea. Although their rhetoric has softened, their interference continues, likely because they are uneasy with the ongoing peace. Wang added that regional nations now recognize these familiar tactics.
Wang proposed reshaping the narrative surrounding the South China Sea to emphasize peace, stability, and cooperation, instead of associating it with tension or conflict. He expressed hope that this more positive narrative would become the dominant perspective.
He affirmed that China and ASEAN countries are jointly pursuing this new direction. Although one country remains out of step, Wang expressed confidence that it would eventually realize that serving foreign interests only leads to being sacrificed.
Wang shared that China and ASEAN had agreed to upgrade the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) by establishing a more effective and legally sound Code of Conduct (COC).
All parties are aiming to finalize the COC by next year, Wang said. Moving forward, consultation rounds will accelerate. He expressed full confidence in the region’s ability to preserve peace, resist external disruption, and make the South China Sea a zone of cooperation and friendship.
Wang also restated China’s opposition to the so-called South China Sea arbitration case. He said the case was flawed both in its factual findings and its legal basis, falsely claiming to act under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) while undermining its principles and regional peace.
He raised a series of rhetorical questions, challenging the legitimacy of compulsory arbitration and asking whether such practices render diplomacy, DOC commitments, and bilateral dialogue meaningless. He questioned whether denying maritime entitlements to all islands and reefs would necessitate redrawing global maritime maps.
Wang concluded that the arbitration case was politically motivated and lacks legitimacy, asserting that it belongs in the “trash heap of history.”
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