China has expressed its firm opposition to the remarks issued in the joint statement in the EU-Japan Summit, where the two sides slammed Beijing on several issues concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea.
"Such remarks undermine international peace and stability, damage mutual understanding and trust between countries in the region, harm the interests of third parties and run counter to what they claim 'working for a more secure, democratic and stable world'," said a spokesperson of Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) on the EU-Japan statement.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the EU and Japan expressed concerns about the surge in tensions in the East and South China Seas due to Bejing's increasing military activity.
"We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions. We reaffirm the critical importance of respecting international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with its provisions on the obligation to settle disputes by peaceful means, and maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight," the joint statement read.
They also underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.
"We will consult and coordinate closely on other regional affairs such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Myanmar, Ukraine, the Middle East Peace Process, Syria, Sahel, Libya, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and the Eastern Mediterranean," the statement added.
Responding to the statement, the Chinese spokesperson said, "Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang-related issues are China's internal affairs. The East China Sea and the South China Sea concern China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. All these issues represent China's fundamental interests and brook no interference."
"We express our strong discontent with and firm opposition to the remarks in the joint statement of the EU-Japan Summit. China will firmly defend its national sovereignty, security, and development interests," the Chinese Mission added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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