China Embassy praises Malaysia’s handling of South China Sea dispute
The China Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has praised Malaysia for the way it handled the disputes between the two countries, including their overlapping claims on the South China Sea.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the embassy said China will continue to address their differences through negotiations so as to maintain the peace and stability in the maritime region...
The China Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has praised Malaysia for the way it handled the disputes between the two countries, including their overlapping claims on the South China Sea.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the embassy said China will continue to address their differences through negotiations so as to maintain the peace and stability in the maritime region.
"Due to historical reasons, there exist some disputes over the territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea.
"Although China and Malaysia hold different positions and have overlapping claims in relevant waters, thankfully the governments of both sides have handled the disputes and managed the differences properly through dialogues and consultations, with goodwill and sincerity.
"The peace and stability over the South China Sea are of common interests of China and Malaysia. China is always ready to cooperate with Malaysia, to deepen our mutual trust, and to continue to properly settle the relevant issues through bilateral friendly consultations," said the spokesperson.
According to the statement, the embassy said they are expecting both sides to work together to fully implement the Declaration of Conduct at the waters and push forward the consultation on Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.
"Before the disputes are settled, China will continue to work with relevant parties, including Malaysia, to put aside differences, promote common development on oil and gas resources and advance the cooperation on maritime environment protection and fishing resources preservation, in order to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation."
China not building a maritime empire
Meanwhile, in the same statement, the embassy also denied claims that the republic was seeking to build a maritime empire in the disputed waters.
This was said as a response to US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, who last week announced that the US has rejected China's disputed claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea.
"Firstly, China always addresses the South China Sea issue by a dual-track approach and upholds the principle that all countries are equal, no matter big or small.
"It is a traditional ethic in China that the strong should not oppress the weak and the rich should not bully the poor, and China has always pursued a good-neighbourly foreign policy and insists that all countries, big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, should be all equal.
"By sticking to the principle of mutual respect and equality, China has solved border issues through negotiations with her 12 land neighbours," said the spokesperson, adding that China has also never created trouble at the South China Sea.
However, the statement said, China had to take necessary actions at the South China Sea when their maritime rights were infringed.
"China confines its oil and gas development and fishing activities in the South China Sea strictly within the waters under China’s jurisdiction, which is in accordance with relevant international laws, including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and China’s domestic legislation.
"China has exercised great restraint over oil and gas development in the disputed waters in the South China Sea. None of the working drilling oil rigs among the thousand rigs in the disputed waters in the South China Sea is China’s.
"China never stirs up trouble, but when our maritime rights are infringed, we have to make necessary reactions, even so, the reactions are all moderate. We never seek to build a 'maritime empire' in the South China Sea."
The embassy also appeared to take a dig at the US, albeit stopping short from naming the country.
They claimed that it was a "certain major power outside the region" who was seeking to build a maritime empire at the South China Sea.
This major power, the spokesperson claimed, had attempted to do so under the guise of “freedom of navigation”.
"On the contrary, certain major power outside the region has been constantly flexed its muscles in the South China Sea by sending advanced warships and fighter planes to the region and conducted excessive military drills with its aircraft carrier battle groups.
"In the guise of 'freedom of navigation', this country has frequently approached and illegally entered waters and airspace of China near the relevant reefs in the South China Sea, threatening the sovereignty and security of China. It is quite clear who is seeking to build a 'maritime empire' and playing power politics in the South China Sea," the embassy spokesperson said.
The embassy also said they do not recognise the ruling made by an arbitrary tribunal court on the South China Sea in 2016, which decided on the issue of territorial disputes between China and the Philippines, among others.
"Territorial issues are not subject to the Convention and the maritime delimitation disputes have been excluded from the UNCLOS compulsory dispute settlement procedures by China’s 2006 Declaration.
"It is apparent that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case and acted ultra vires," said the embassy.
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