The spokeswoman of the European External Action Service (EEAS) denounced, on Wednesday 28 August, the latest “unilateral” Chinese actions in the South China Sea, without identifying Beijing directly.
In mid-August, a prospecting vessel belonging to the Chinese Public Geological Survey again entered Vietnam's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea. Tensions are also likely to increase with the presence of a US Navy destroyer on Wednesday 28 August, near the islands claimed by China in the South China Sea.
“Unilateral actions during the past weeks in the South China Sea have resulted in mounting tensions and a deterioration of the maritime security environment” and represent a “a serious threat to the peaceful economic development of the region”, the spokesperson lamented in a statement.
“It is crucial for all parties in the region to exercise self-restraint, take concrete steps towards reverting to the status quo ante, refrain from militarising the region and resolve disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)”, she also stressed.
According to the spokesperson, the parties could use a third party, “in the form of mediation or arbitration”, to facilitate the processing of their respective claims.
The EEAS spokesperson added that the EU looked forward to the early conclusion of talks on an “effective, substantive and legally binding ‘Code of Conduct’” within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This code has been under discussion for several years.
The EU thus reaffirms its commitment to a legal order for the seas and oceans based on international law, maritime safety and cooperation, as well as freedom of navigation and overflight, which is in the general interest. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)