The spokesperson for the European External Action Service said on Saturday 24 April that tensions in the South China Sea, including the recent presence of large Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef, were endangering peace and stability in the region.
“The EU reiterates its strong opposition to any unilateral actions that could undermine regional stability and the international rules-based order”, the spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson urged the parties to resolve disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including its dispute settlement mechanisms.
The spokesperson recalled the Arbitration Award of 12 July 2016, which found that China did not have “historic rights” justifying its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea (see EUROPE 11592/22).
In response, the Chinese mission to the EU urged the EU “to respect the efforts of countries in the region in properly addressing differences and maintaining stability in the South China Sea, and stop sowing discord”.
“The South China Sea should not become a tool for certain countries to contain and suppress China, still less a wrestling ground for major-power rivalry”, it added. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)