China urges U.S., EU not to be troublemakers in South China Sea

China urges countries led by the United States to refrain from statements and actions that disrupt regional peace and stability, and stop being troublemakers in the South China Sea, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks when asked to comment on the statements issued by the U.S., the EU and other parties on Thursday, where they declared their support for the so-called arbitral award on the South China Sea and attacked China's positions and propositions in the South China Sea.

Lin said the U.S. refused to accede to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for its own selfish interests, yet often lectures other countries on their implementation of UNCLOS, fully exposing its hypocrisy of selectively applying international law with double standards.

Lin added that the U.S. and the EU disregarded the history and facts on the South China Sea issue, acted against the UN Charter, and misinterpreted UNCLOS and other international law, meaning their positions and propositions do not hold water.

Lin noted that the U.S. reversed its public commitment of not taking a position on sovereignty issues in the South China Sea, encouraged the Philippines to launch arbitration on the South China Sea, and blatantly released a statement endorsing the award.

This is political manipulation from the U.S. aimed at using its allies to destabilize the South China Sea and the region, and advancing its nefarious agenda of going after China, Lin added. 

Stressing that the South China Sea has been generally stable with the concerted efforts of China and and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Lin said China will work with ASEAN countries to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable, and contribute to regional prosperity and development.