Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei's Regular Press Conference on June 5, 2014
Q: The G7 Summit issued an announcement on June 4 expressing concerns over the current situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. How does China respond?
A:China is a staunch champion of peace and stability in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, cooperation and development of regional countries as well as the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, basic norms governing international relations and basic principles of international laws. The last thing China wants to see is any turmoil in its neighboring areas including the East China Sea and the South China Sea. China strongly upholds the territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests as well as national security, and always safeguards the order and navigation freedom in relevant airspace and waters in accordance with international laws and international practices. China is committed to solving relevant disputes concerning the East China Sea and the South China Sea with countries directly concerned through bilateral coordination and negotiation on the basis of respecting historical facts and the international laws. This is an important consensus reached between China and relevant countries, and is also in line with the interests and aspirations of the majority of countries and peoples in this region. However, as for the provocative acts taken by certain country to willfully violate China's sovereignty and rights and interests as well as deliberately undermine maritime peace and stability, China will respond with firm resolve.
Practices have proven again and again that negotiation and coordination between parties concerned is the most effective way to solve the disputes; the internationalization of relevant disputes as well as the interference and involvement of irrelevant party is neither helpful in solving the disputes nor in realizing regional peace and stability, only making the problem more difficult to settle. Countries outside this region should respect facts on relevant controversial issues and adhere to an objective attitude instead of deliberately hyping up tension, stirring up confrontation or complicating the regional situation.
Q: Since the 981 drilling platform changed the location and started the second phase operation, the Vietnamese side has been disrupting Chinese operations on the sea. The Vietnamese leaders and officials said many times on international occasions that China's operations fall within the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of Vietnam, China's operations violate Vietnamese sovereignty and jurisdiction and Vietnam is considering legal actions on relevant issues. What is China's response?
A: After conducting forceful disruptions of the first phase operation of the 981 drilling platform located in the contiguous zone of the Xisha Islands, the Vietnamese side has kept deploying large numbers of vessels including armed vessels to continuously disrupt the second phase normal operation of the 981 drilling platform since May 27. Up to now, the Vietnamese side has altogether rammed into Chinese government vessels for safeguarding security on the scene for over 1,200 times, and has set up large floating objects and obstacles. This action grossly infringes upon China's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, jeopardizes the security of Chinese personnel and facilities, violates international laws and basic norms governing international relations, and undermines navigation freedom and safety in this water. China is strongly outraged by and firmly opposed to this.
The location of the 981 drilling platform operation in its second phase is in the southeast to the Zhongjian Island of China's Xisha Islands. It is 17 nautical miles away from the baseline of territorial sea of the Xisha Islands and 160 nautical miles from Vietnam, falling indisputably within the contiguous zone of China's Xisha Islands just as the location of the first phase operation. China's operation fully falls within China's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction. The exploration work including 2-D and 3-D seismetic research and well site exploration conducted by Chinese companies in the coastal waters of the Xisha Islands has been ongoing for 10 years. The drilling activities carried out this time are routine continuation of relevant exploration work and are fully legal and legitimate.
In response to the provocations of the Vietnamese side, China has maintained maximum restraint and sent government vessels and civilian vessels to uphold the order of normal operation on the sea and safeguard the security of Chinese personnel and facilities. However, the Vietnamese side takes advantage of China's exercise of restraint to complicate the situation and escalate the tension, and further intensifies their actions without any restriction. Here I want to point out that China has firm and unflinching resolve in safeguarding national sovereignty, maritime rights and interests, international laws and the basic norms governing international relations. We will continue to resolutely contain Vietnam's dangerous actions against China's drilling platform. Vietnam's attempt to create disputes on international occasions cannot succeed. Any action taken by the Vietnamese side to magnify and complicate the situation can only harm its own interests. What the Vietnamese side should do at the present is to give up its illusions, immediately stop all provocations and withdraw all vessels from the scene so as to restore tranquility to the sea as soon as possible.
Q: Yesterday the Vietnamese TV station presented a footage showing Chinese vessels chasing down and ramming into two Vietnamese vessels, causing one of them to sink. Does this say that China is the one who takes aggressive actions in the South China Sea? How does China respond to this?
A: I have just briefed you on the current situation when talking about the Vietnamese side's continuous ramming into China's guarding vessels protecting the second phase operation of the drilling platform in the southern waters off China's Zhongjian Island. I can give you a more specific answer, and that is in relevant waters, Chinese vessels are defending and the Vietnamese vessels are attacking. Chinese vessels are only 17 nautical miles away from China's Zhongjian Island, while the Vietnamese vessels marched as far as nearly 160 nautical miles to the scene. Which one is aggressively ramming into the other on the scene? Which one is stirring up tension on the scene? I believe the answer is very clear.
After the press conference, some journalist asked that the recent severely violent crimes in Vietnam against foreign companies involving beating, smashing, looting and burning have caused heavy casualties and enormous property losses to China, and how is Vietnam doing in punishing the perpetrators and making compensations?
The severely violent crimes against foreign companies involving beating, smashing, looting and burning in Vietnam have caused heavy casualties and property losses to Chinese companies. But up to now, the Vietnamese side has not made compensation to Chinese people and companies being hurt in this incident. The Chinese side urges the Vietnamese side to take concrete and effective measures to safeguard the security of life and property as well as the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese personnel and institutions in Vietnam, severely punish the perpetrators and fully compensate for China's losses.
