The European Union has once again expressed its serious concern over the tense situation in the South China Sea, where the Communist Party of China (CPC) has gathered ships on a large scale in the disputed waters.
The EU’s External Action Service (EAS) issued a statement on April 24, noting that the recent tensions in the South China Sea and the massive build-up of ships by the Chinese Communist Party near Whitson Reef (known as Niuyu Reef in China) “endanger the peace and stability of the region.
The statement said the EU supports ASEAN-led efforts to develop an effective, substantive and legally binding code of conduct and urged all parties to work in good faith to reach a final solution.
The Philippine government confirmed last month that as many as 200 fishing boats manned by armed Chinese militias had assembled in the waters of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The Chinese Communist Party’s move has prompted questions about its motives from several governments, including the United States, the European Union and Japan, and has been met with successive diplomatic protests from the Philippine government.
The EU External Action Service also stressed in a statement that the EU reiterates its strong opposition to any action that could undermine the order based on international rules, as well as regional stability. The EU urged the parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, in particular the relevant dispute settlement mechanisms of the International Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the outcome of the arbitration in the South China Sea decided by the International Tribunal in The Hague on July 12, 2016, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Recent Comments